[3] The plain is kept free of tall vegetation by the prevailing dry winds sweeping through the gap between the two highlands.

[1] There were no major settlements in Padang Lawas, but the area provided a strategic route for people moving between the east and west coast of Sumatra.

[2] No kingdoms were associated with these temples, at least according to inscriptions discovered in the site, however the religion is identical to that practiced by Adityawarman.

[2] They were possibly linked with Pannai Kingdom, one of the trading ports on the coast of Strait of Malacca under Srivijayan mandala.

The complex of the temple is known locally as biaro (from vihara or monastery), possibly indicating a clue to its original use.

Bahal is a term still used in Nepal to refer the two-storied temples of the Vajrayana, a major sect which influenced Buddhism in Indonesia.