Among the numerous monuments, both Hindu and Buddhist, that dot the landscape of Cambodia (ancient Kambuja), some, like the Angkor Wat are world-famous and visited by thousands of tourists every year. However, there are others, almost as aweinspiring but not as well known. One among these is the Ta Prohm temple, in Siem Reap Province, constructed in 1186 AD. It was one among the numerous temples built in the reign of King Jayavarman VII (1181-1220 AD), a Khmer ruler and the last great king of Angkor who is known as an ardent Buddhist. In a completely ruined condition today, with trees like the Strangler Fig and Silkcotton entangling the huge stone blocks which are in disarray, Ta Prohm was once a thriving centre of Buddhism. This ‘temple-monastery’, or Rajavihara as it is called in an inscription found here, had Prajnaparamita (the Perfection of Wisdom) as its principal deity, sculpted in the likeness of Jayavarman’s mother for the latter’s merit. The temple complex was later enlarged by King Indravarman II in the 13th century AD.