Prasat Bei is a complex of three towers built of brick on a common rectangular base. Each of them is dedicated to one of the three most revered Hindu gods: Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva. If the name of the temple is translated literally, it sounds like "three towers," i.e. the towers of three gods.
This temple looks ruined, although in fact it is simply unfinished. Construction of Prasat Bei began in the 10th century during the reign of King Yashovarman I. But construction stopped after the king's sudden death.
However, the central tower was almost completed: an elegant bas-relief adorns its entrance. Particularly striking is the image of the god Indra on the elephant Airavata, which has four tusks and seven trunks. According to ancient mythology, Airavata appeared during the churning (stirring) of the Ocean of Milk. This happened as a result of the struggle between the devas (gods) and the asuras (demigods).
According to another version, the elephant hatched from the shell of a golden egg together with other elephants. In any case, when he grew up, he became a war elephant ridden by the supreme god of thunder, Indra. Therefore, in Cambodia, as in Thailand or Burma, the image of Indra on Airavata is a symbol of tropical downpours, after which the trees usually became especially fruitful.
