A Buddhist temple built in the late 12th century is located deep in the forest — 800 m from Ta Keo. It is heavily overgrown with greenery and moss, and trees literally grow out of its walls. All of this creates a slightly mystical atmosphere; it seems as if no human foot has set here for a hundred years. The local Department of Antiquities Preservation is only just preparing to include this temple in its restoration and clearing program, and for now there is no scaffolding or protective netting here, which tourists find so irritating.
The construction of Ta Nei Temple began during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. He was known as a reformer who carried out a grand program for the construction of public buildings and religious structures. In addition, he was an ardent follower of Buddhism and became the first king to replace the cult of Shiva with that of Buddha. This is precisely what explains the large number of images of Buddha and Kali in Ta Nei Temple. Also, on one of the bas-reliefs you can see the Indian deity Lokeshwara — the patron of the whole world, standing on a lotus flower surrounded by demigoddesses.
At the height of its glory, the temple was surrounded by several rings of stone walls. Now, mostly ruins remain of them. However, in some gopuras you can make out ornaments and images of mythological creatures. Even two pools lined on the inside with laterite blocks have survived.
