Champassak, the southern city was the place where the indigenous Lao, Mon-Khmer and Lua (or Lawa) people lived. Hinduism was a major influence in the third century. Archaeological sites are focused in the south east, with this centre a Champhukaow (or Summit Mountain) stretching on the east and west of the mighty Mekong River.
On top of Champhukaow were stones which were similar to the hairstyle shape which were worn by Lao women who the Hindus worshiped. Lao people like to call this mountain "phu nom" meaning "breast on the mountain" because the mountain also looks like a womens breast. Siva Linga is the emblem of the Hindu's most respected god, called in sanscript "Linkhaparavata" (or monk). Sivatheps Linkha Mountain is 1,400 metres high, sandstone palaces were built at its foot for worship and religious activities.
Wat Phu Sandstone Palaces
Before walking up the sandstone palace, one can notice large tanks called "sa taow" and "sa nang". In Lao language, "sa taow" means a bathing tank for men and "sa nang" is for women. These were to wash in by worshiping pilgrims. At the bottom of Wat Phu is the first step, and has two palaces done in sandstone. Features such as window frames were carved and were based on the event Siva tap. The eastern Palace is called the Mens Palace, the western one is the Womens Palace. The activities inside the two palaces is unclear at this stage. Before reaching the two palaces, one passes through a 280 metre long causeway. There are stonely columns between the Palaces which give the form of a linear blooming lotus, this is the emblem of the Linkha temple.
On the second step of the pathway, one finds the carved statue of the guardian Phratavaraphan usually called Priyacomata by local people. The standing statue holds a hammer in his right hand, while the left holds the chest indicating respect for worshipers. This sandstone statue has been standing for hundreds of years. Although it is not compulsory, it is customary for visitors to make a small donation and kneel down to pray for good luck and success before climbing up the next set of steps.
Thevalay and Holy Water
On the third step, the entire path is paved with massive stone slabs. The fourth step has three brick worship alters on each side. Before entering Thevalay, pilgrims must climb seventy seven steps. Each platform has eleven steps.
Thevalay is the highest Phatan Palace, some parts were made of bricks, others of stone. Even though the roof structure was ruined, some parts indicate architectural traces, each entrance gate was magnificently carved and decorated. The carving naturally reveal the three-headed elephants, a god was riding upon lahu while lahu held a torch, these artistic carvings reveal the intelligence and skills of the unknown builders of the past. These carvings were probably made by master craftsman Kuka and Papawan.
Down the years the groups of Champassak archaeological palaces were not paid protective attention, they were quite dirty. Soil erosion resulted from thousands of years of pouring rain water from the mountains. As a result the palace was ruined and parts have vanished. It is clear the need for cultural heritage management and protection in this archaeological site. The government of Laos in co-operation with Lao project 86/006 of UNESCO and UNDP has researched the evidence related to the history and background of the sandstone palaces and ancient towns. The Lao project has defined four management and protective zones such as the cultural heritage protection zone, the religious environment protection zone, the archaeological research protection zone and the archaeological site management zone. The credible evidence about Wat Phu, as well as the present state of the historical, archaeological and anthropological research has been mentioned. There will be challenging search for more evidence goes on.
