Sculptural evidence makes clear that a cult devoted to Hari-Hara, a syncretic deity uniting Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara) in one form, was popular in the Mekong Delta area of mainland Southeast Asia in the seventh and eighth centuries. The accommodation of both principal Hindu male deities in a single cult had obvious advantages for local rulers who had recently adopted Hindu culture. An example of the pre-Angkorian Prasat Andet style, this royal cult icon once had a highly polished surface. Shiva is identified by the vertical third eye on his forehead and by his piled, matted hair, while Vishnu’s conical, undecorated miter (headdress) is one of his distinguishing features in the pre-Angkor period.
