This history of Beng Mealea temple is largely unknown. It’s assumed that it was originally built as a Hindu temple by King Suryavarman who also built Angkor Wat.
However, there are also some Buddhist carvings here, but it’s not known if these were added by King Suryavarman II or at a later date.
The temple was built on an ancient highway which leads to Preah Khan Kompong Svay.
It’s assumed that Beng Mealea was abandoned like the other temples near Angkor Wat in the 16th century.
Prasat Beng Mealea is a temple which few people visit. It’s located around 66km from Siem Reap town and it’s this distance which puts most people off. It’s exactly this reason why you do want to visit Beng Mealea temple!
The Jungle Temple was built on an ancient highway and was an important temple in the history of the Khmer empire. Nowadays, it mostly lays in ruins and the jungle has literally taken over. This is where the nickname Jungle Temple comes from.
This fascinating temple is well worth the journey out and you’ll appreciate being able to explore without thousands of tourists around. The temple is surrounded by dense jungle which makes it nice and cool, even in the hot months.
As you can see, there are more reasons to visit Beng Mealea than not!