Epigraphists have recently deciphered a set of stone steles found in Northeast Thailand, written in a combination of Sanskrit and Old Khmer. The text records the visit of a high-ranking priest from Kanchipuram to the Khmer court, where he oversaw the consecration of a Shiva temple.
This discovery provides concrete evidence of the deep religious and cultural ties between the Pallava-Chola heartland and the Khmer Empire. It highlights the role of South Indian scholars in shaping the liturgical and architectural traditions of Southeast Asia during the 9th century.