Tuesday, 8 February 2011

Hindus call for protecting ancient temple on Thai/Cambodia border

via CAAI

By Speroforum
Monday, February 07, 2011

Hindus are shocked over reported damage to 11th century Preah Vihear Hindu Shiva temple complex along the Thai-Cambodian caused by an exchange of cross-border artillery fire.

Rajan Zed, in a February 7 statement, urged the international community to intervene to stop the fighting in order to save the landmark Hindu temple from further damage.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that world community should raise funds to restore the temple to its original condition and provide infrastructure in the area for worshippers and other visitors. He called for a scheme by which control of the temple would be entrusted to the United Nations.

Rajan Zed argued that the historic Preah Vihear temple is a world heritage site. In his view, it is the moral duty of the world to keep it preserved and intact for the coming generations. The reported collapse of a part of the temple has caused consternation among Hindus.

Known as Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, this remote temple had reportedly not been clearly demarcated, remaining a source of tension for generations. Preah Vihear is said to pre-date Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex by about 100 years and its stunning setting made it finest of all the ruins left from the mighty Khmer civilization, Rajan Zed added.

Zed further said that world should not let this sacred site dedicated to worship of the god Shiva should not be used to "to advance political agendas of some as there appeared to be a no clear solution to settle the long-standing territorial dispute surrounding the temple, which was already a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and whose history could be traced to 9th century when the hermitage was founded."

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