Ta Som is a small island temple that has, like Ta Prohm, been overrun by nature. It’s one of the smaller temples I visited on my second day of exploring. As such, it was also one of the quietest temples in the area.
From the outside of the temple you can already see how the trees have taken over. A mud path leads to the temple ruins, and trees jut out in the middle of it. The temple has been restored, with many of the trees removed, but they have tried to avoid cutting down trees if they can help it.
This temple is enclosed within a large wall, providing space for a small garden. Small stone structures give hints of what may have been here in the past, but today it is home only for the trees that sprouted in the centuries since, as well as the moss growing over the walls.
The temple itself is small and confined. Walking through many doorways will eventually get you to a yoni. If you explore around the outside of the temple you can see many carvings of deva that have stood the test of time.
This might be were most people end their exploration, but I noticed path continued to another gopura that was partially propped up with wooden scaffolding. I decided to continue and see what lay beyond the gate.
Outside the walls again, I was now at what remained of the moat. A small isolated area with a few trees dotted around. It was calm and quiet with only the sounds of nature. I felt like I had discovered a small secret, a place of solitude where one could gather their own thoughts.
The gopura being propped up had the roots of a tree growing through it. This tree had been cut down, but as the roots have been embedded in the wall’s structure it would be difficult, if not impossible, to remove.
I took a moment, and some pictures, and turned around, leaving only footprints as I walked back through the temple, and on to the next one.
