[Buddha-l] Thai-Cambodian war over Temple ownership

[jkirk]

 In case anyone is wondering who the original deity for this
temple was, and its builders, here is an account from wikipedia.
Cheers, Joanna
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Ancient history
Temple of Preah Vihear* 
UNESCO World Heritage Site 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasat_Preah_Vihear

Construction of the first temple on the site began in the early
9th century; both then and in the following centuries it was
dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva in his manifestations as the
mountain gods Sikharesvara and Bhadresvara. The earliest
surviving parts of the temple, however, date from the Koh Ker
period in the early 10th century, when the empire's capital was
at the city of that name. Today, elements of the Banteay Srei
style of the late 10th century can be seen, but most of the
temple was constructed during the reigns of the Khmer kings
Suryavarman I (1002 -1050) and Suryavarman II (1113 -1150). An
inscription found at the temple provides a detailed account of
Suryavarman II studying sacred rituals, celebrating religious
festivals and making gifts, including white parasols, golden
bowls and elephants, to his spiritual advisor, the aged Brahman
Divakarapandita. The Brahman himself took an interest in the
temple, according to the inscription, donating to it a golden
statue of a dancing Shiva.[citation needed] In the wake of the
decline of Hinduism in the region the site was converted to use
by Buddhists. 

Two major academic sources:
Coe, Michael D. (2003). Angkor and the Khmer Civilization. Thames
& Hudson. 
ISBN 0-500-28442-3. 

Higham, Charles (2001). The Civilization of Angkor. University of
California Press. 
ISBN 0-520-23442-1.