Banteay Srei is unique among Cambodia’s sacred buildings. It stands out from other ancient Angkorian temples with its petite size, the pink hue of the hard, red sandstone from which it is made, and the intricacy of its exquisitely sculpted wall relief carvings of motifs, figures and scenes from the Hindu Mahabharata and Ramayana epics.

Built by Khmer courtiers in the 10th century

CE, Banteay Srei was originally named Tribhuvanamaheshwara and its surrounding town was known as Isvarapura, both in dedication to Lord Shiva, though the temple venerates Shiva and Vishnu. It was later dubbed Banteay Srei, or ‘Citadel of Women’ in Khmer, perhaps in tribute to the plethora of enchanting female devatas (deities) adorning the temple walls as well as the life-size sculptures of yogini (sacred women) found within its compound. In this exhilarating dance production, these ancient figures and scenes from the Hindu epics come to life as the yoginis unravel mystical stories of the sacred temple.