In Southeast Asian mythology, the naga is the serpent deity traditionally revered in Cambodia as a protector of water and kingship.
Nagas are powerful serpent beings found across South and Southeast Asian religious traditions. In Cambodia, naga imagery became deeply integrated with Khmer art, architecture, and origin legends. Cambodian traditions connect the naga with water, fertility, royal legitimacy, and the ancestral identity of the Khmer people.
Khmer temples frequently depict multi-headed nagas along balustrades and entrances. These sculptures are not merely decorative: the serpent’s body can symbolize a sacred boundary or a bridge between human and divine realms. Angkor Wat and other temple complexes preserve especially famous examples of naga architecture.
Naga is a broad religious and mythological term rather than the name of one single individual dragon. Individual traditions name particular serpent kings, and depictions vary in head number and function. This is why “naga” is more precise here than importing a European dragon category into Cambodian mythology.