by

Majestic Angkor Wat

Introduction

Angkor derives from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘holy city’; ‘Wat’ in Khmer means ‘temple’. Angkor Wat, located 5.5 km north of the modern town of Siem Reap in northeast Cambodia represents a whole complex of wonderful temples and stonemasonry and artwork throughout this area. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia besides being the single largest religious structure in the world, and surely one of the world’s wonders of art and architecture.
Majestic Angkor Wat

The temples of Angkor were built by the Khmer civilization between 802 and 1220 AD. From Angkor the Khmer kings ruled over a vast domain that reached from Vietnam to China to the Bay of Bengal. Within an area of 120 sq. miles, the ruins contain some of the most imposing monuments in the world, including about a thousand temples, mainly Hindu and some Buddhist; the ancient city, however, had an extent some three times that size, and was home to perhaps 750,000 people. The structures one sees at Angkor today, more than 100 stone temples in all, are the surviving remains of a grand religious, social and administrative metropolis whose other buildings – palaces, public buildings, and houses – were built of wood and have long since decayed and disappeared. Angkor Wat was re-discovered by a French man about 150 years ago among heavy forestry, ready to become one of the most visited archaeological and artistic sites on the planet.

History

The initial design and construction of Angkor Wat took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (1113 – c. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king’s state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as Vrah Vishnulok after the presiding deity. Work seems to have ended shortly after the king’s death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished. In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometres to the north.

In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.

The true history of Angkor Wat was pieced together only from stylistic and epigraphic evidence accumulated during the clearing and restoration work carried out across the whole Angkor site. There were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement including cooking utensils, weapons, or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites. Instead there is the evidence of the monuments themselves.

Angkor Wat required considerable restoration in the 20th century, mainly the removal of accumulated earth and vegetation. Work was interrupted by the civil war and Khmer Rouge control of the country during the 1970s and 1980s, but relatively little damage was done during this period other than the theft and destruction of mostly post-Angkorian statues.

The temple is a powerful symbol of Cambodia, and is a source of great national pride that has factored into Cambodia’s diplomatic relations with its neighbour Thailand, France and the United States. The splendid artistic legacy of Angkor Wat and other Khmer monuments in the Angkor region led directly to France adopting Cambodia as a protectorate on 11 August 1863. This quickly led to Cambodia reclaiming lands in the northwestern corner of the country that had been under Thai control since the Thai invasion of 1431 AD. Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953 and has controlled Angkor Wat since that time.

Angkor Wat Today

Since the 1990s, Angkor Wat has seen continued conservation efforts and a massive increase in tourism. The temple is part of the Angkor World Heritage Site, established in 1992, which has provided some funding and has encouraged the Cambodian government to protect the site. A survey found that around 20% of the devatas were in very poor condition, mainly because of natural erosion and deterioration of the stone but in part also due to earlier restoration efforts. Other work involves the repair of collapsed sections of the structure, and prevention of further collapse.

Angkor Wat has become a major tourist destination. In 2004 and 2005, government figures suggest that, respectively, 561,000 and 677,000 foreign visitors arrived in Siem Reap province, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia for both years. The influx of tourists has so far caused relatively little damage, other than some graffiti; ropes and wooden steps have been introduced to protect the bas-reliefs and floors, respectively. Tourism has also provided some additional funds for maintenance—as of 2000 approximately 28% of ticket revenues across the whole Angkor site was spent on the temples—although most work is carried out by foreign government sponsored teams rather than by the Cambodian authorities.

Architecture and Style

Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture—the Angkor Wat style—to which it has given its name. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts.

Angkor Wat is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire’s state temples, the later plan of concentric galleries, and influences from Orissa and the Chola of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods: the central quincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean. Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level.
Angkor Wat Aerial

Angkor Wat has drawn praise above all for the harmony of its design, which has been compared to the architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. According to Maurice Glaize, a mid-20th-century conservator of Angkor, the temple “attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity and style.”

Features

Outer enclosure: The outer wall is surrounded by open ground and a moat. Access to the temple is by an earth bank to the east and a sandstone causeway to the west; the latter, the main entrance, is a later addition, possibly replacing a wooden bridge. The outer wall encloses a space, which besides the temple proper was originally occupied by the city and, to the north of the temple, the royal palace. Like all secular buildings of Angkor, these were built of perishable materials rather than of stone, so nothing remains of them except the outlines of some of the streets. Most of the area is now covered by forest.

Central structure: The temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city. It is made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. Each gallery has a gopura (a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple) at each of the points, and the two inner galleries each have towers at their corners, forming a quincunx.

The outer gallery has pavilions rather than towers at the corners. The gallery is open to the outside of the temple, with columned half-galleries extending and buttressing the structure. Connecting the outer gallery to the second enclosure on the west side is a cruciform cloister called Preah Poan (the “Hall of a Thousand Buddhas”). This area has many inscriptions relating the good deeds of pilgrims, most written in Khmer but others in Burmese and Japanese. The four small courtyards marked out by the cloister may originally have been filled with water. North and south of the cloister are libraries.

Hall of Thousand Buddhas

Beyond, the second and inner galleries are connected to each other and to two flanking libraries by another cruciform terrace, again a later addition. From the second level upwards, devatas abound on the walls, individually or in groups of up to four. The second-level enclosure may originally have been flooded to represent the ocean around Mount Meru. Three sets of steps on each side lead up to the corner towers and gopuras of the inner gallery. The very steep stairways represent the difficulty of ascending to the kingdom of the gods. This inner gallery, called the Bakan, is a square with axial galleries connecting each gopura with the central shrine, and subsidiary shrines located below the corner towers. The roofings of the galleries are decorated with the motif of the body of a snake ending in the heads of lions or garudas.

Bakan

Carved lintels and pediments decorate the entrances to the galleries and to the shrines. The tower above the central shrine rises above the ground; unlike those of previous temple mountains, the central tower is raised above the surrounding four. The shrine itself, originally occupied by a statue of Vishnu and open on each side, was walled in when the temple was converted to Theravada Buddhism, the new walls featuring standing Buddhas.

Decoration: Integrated with the architecture of the building, and one of the causes for its fame is Angkor Wat’s extensive decoration, which predominantly takes the form of bas-relief (is a projecting image with a shallow overall depth, for example used on coins, on which all images are in low relief) friezes. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large-scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. From the northwest corner anti-clockwise, the western gallery shows the Battle of Lanka (from the Ramayana, in which Rama defeats Ravana) and the Battle of Kurukshetra (from the Mahabharata, showing the mutual annihilation of the Kaurava and Pandava clans). On the southern gallery follow the only historical scene, a procession of Suryavarman II, then the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hindu mythology.

Gallery

On the eastern gallery is one of the most celebrated scenes, the Churning of the Sea of Milk, showing 92 asuras and 88 devas using the serpent Vasuki to churn the sea under Vishnu’s direction. It is followed by Vishnu defeating asuras (a 16th-century addition). The northern gallery shows Krishna’s victory over Bana and a battle between the Hindu gods and asuras. The northwest and southwest corner pavilions both feature much smaller-scale scenes, some unidentified but most from the Ramayana or the life of Krishna.

Churning of the Sea Milk

Sarah Widjaja and Saurabh Sud

* * *

Bibliography

1. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668
2. http://sacredsites.com/asia/cambodia/angkor_wat.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat
4. http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/angkor/temples_sites/temples/
angkor_vat.html
5. http://www.devata.org/2010/01/angkor-wat-top-shrine-reopens-to-visitors/

9,223 thoughts on “Majestic Angkor Wat”

  3. We still cannot quite believe I may often be any type of those checking important points available on your webblog. Our neighbors i are sincerely thankful for ones generosity enchanting giving me possibility pursue our chosen profession path. Published right information I purchased in your web-site. 여성알바

  10. Outstanding article! I want people to know just how good this information is in your article. Your views are much like my own concerning this subject. I will visit daily your blog because I know. It may be very beneficial for me. nano defense pro reviews

  11. This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great! DOMINOBET

  13. Lu88 com cung cấp một nền tảng cá cược hiện đại với thiết kế giao diện dễ sử dụng, tốc độ xử lý mượt mà cùng dịch vụ hỗ trợ khách hàng 24/7. Chúng tôi cam kết sẽ mang đến cho người chơi một không gian giải trí minh bạch, an toàn và đáng tin cậy.

  14. Lu 88 cung cấp một nền tảng cá cược hiện đại với thiết kế giao diện dễ sử dụng, tốc độ xử lý mượt mà cùng dịch vụ hỗ trợ khách hàng 24/7. Chúng tôi cam kết sẽ mang đến cho người chơi một không gian giải trí minh bạch, an toàn và đáng tin cậy.

  15. What is this article? There’s a lot going on in this article. I can’t stop reading it. I really want to know the person who wrote this article. wm slot

  16. Cổng game giải trí uy tín với hàng trăm trò chơi hấp dẫn, khuyến mãi cực lớn, tỷ lệ thưởng cạnh tranh và hệ thống nạp rút nhanh chóng, mang đến trải nghiệm cá cược mượt mà, an toàn và đầy cơ hội tại RR88

  17. Liên minh kjc là kênh truyền thông chính thức đại diện cho hệ thống giải trí KJC Group, kết nối người dùng với nền tảng giải trí số toàn diện.

  18. La Zeceplus.com, ne specializăm în oferirea de servicii profesionale de redactare a lucrărilor de licență la prețuri
    competitive, punând accent pe calitate, transparență și satisfacția clienților.
    Căutarea unei lucrări de licență la un preț accesibil poate fi o provocare, mai ales
    atunci când vrei să te asiguri că rezultatul final respectă standardele academice și cerințele universității tale.
    Noi înțelegem importanța acestui proiect pentru parcursul tău academic și profesional, motiv pentru care
    ne dedicăm să îți oferim suport complet, adaptat nevoilor tale,
    la un cost corect și transparent. În continuare, îți prezentăm de ce Zeceplus.com este alegerea ideală pentru studenții care doresc
    o lucrare de licență de calitate superioară, fără a depăși bugetul.

    Prețul unei lucrări de licență este un factor esențial, iar la Zeceplus.com ne asigurăm că oferim tarife competitive,
    fără costuri ascunse. Costul variază în funcție de mai mulți factori, precum complexitatea temei, domeniul de studiu, numărul de pagini și termenul de
    livrare. De exemplu, o lucrare de licență standard, cu
    un termen de livrare rezonabil, începe de la un preț accesibil,
    care include cercetare aprofundată, redactare profesională și formatare conform cerințelor universității tale.
    Pentru teme mai complexe sau livrări urgente, prețul poate fi ajustat, însă ne străduim să menținem un echilibru
    între cost și calitate, astfel încât să primești
    o lucrare impecabilă, indiferent de buget. Transparența este cheia:
    fiecare ofertă este clar comunicată de la bun început, astfel încât să știi exact ce primești pentru banii tăi.

    Calitatea este prioritatea noastră principală.
    Nu ne limităm doar la a oferi un preț atractiv, ci
    ne asigurăm că fiecare lucrare îndeplinește standardele academice cele mai
    înalte. Echipa noastră este formată din profesioniști cu experiență în diverse domenii, de la științe economice,
    juridice și inginerești, până la medicină, psihologie sau științe sociale.

    Fiecare lucrare este realizată de la zero, personalizată
    conform cerințelor tale specifice, și respectă normele de scriere academică.
    Folosim surse relevante și actualizate, iar conținutul este
    verificat prin softuri anti-plagiat pentru a garanta originalitatea 100%.
    În plus, lucrările sunt redactate cu atenție la detalii, respectând structura cerută, fie că este vorba de introducere,
    capitole teoretice, studii de caz sau concluzii.

    Un alt avantaj al colaborării cu Zeceplus.com este
    flexibilitatea. Înțelegem că fiecare student are nevoi
    diferite, iar termenele limită pot fi uneori strânse.
    De aceea, oferim opțiuni personalizate, inclusiv livrări rapide pentru
    cei care au nevoie de lucrare într-un timp scurt. Chiar și în astfel de cazuri, calitatea
    nu este compromisă, iar prețul rămâne accesibil.
    De asemenea, oferim suport continuu pe parcursul procesului:
    poți comunica direct cu redactorul tău pentru a discuta detalii, a solicita
    modificări sau a primi actualizări despre progresul
    lucrării. Această abordare personalizată ne permite să ne adaptăm cerințelor
    tale și să livrăm un produs final care să te
    mulțumească pe deplin.

    My webpage :: Lucrare de licenta pret

  19. I wish to show thanks to you just for rescuing me from this type of incident. Because of scouting throughout the world wide web and seeing concepts which were not powerful, I assumed my life was done. Being alive without the presence of approaches to the issues you’ve sorted out by means of this report is a serious case, and the ones which may have adversely affected my career if I hadn’t come across your blog. Your personal skills and kindness in maneuvering the whole thing was important. I don’t know what I would have done if I had not come across such a thing like this. I can also now relish my future. Thanks so much for your specialized and results-oriented guide. I won’t hesitate to refer your web page to any person who would need support about this subject matter. alexistogel daftar

  20. Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s truly informative. I am gonna watch out for brussels. I will be grateful if you continue this in future. Numerous people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers! alexistogel daftar

  23. Over and over again I like to think about this problems. As a matter of fact it wasn’t even a month ago that I thought about this very thing. To be honest, what is the answer though? alexistogel login

  24. I’ve really noticed that repairing credit activity needs to be conducted with tactics. If not, you will probably find yourself destroying your standing. In order to succeed in fixing your credit score you have to ensure that from this second you pay all of your monthly dues promptly in advance of their slated date. It’s really significant given that by definitely not accomplishing this, all other activities that you will choose to use to improve your credit rank will not be useful. Thanks for sharing your strategies. sleep lean reviews

  26. What i don’t realize is in reality how you are no longer actually a lot more neatly-preferred than you may be right now. You are so intelligent. You understand thus considerably with regards to this subject, produced me in my view believe it from so many various angles. Its like women and men aren’t fascinated except it’s one thing to accomplish with Girl gaga! Your individual stuffs great. Always maintain it up! sleep lean reviews

  27. you’re actually a good webmaster. The website loading speed is amazing. It sort of feels that you’re doing any unique trick. Also, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve performed a excellent process on this subject! sleep lean reviews

  29. I’m very happy to read this. This is the kind of details that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc. kerassentials

  30. Hi there! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing! kerassentials

  32. hey there and thank you for your info – I’ve certainly picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise several technical points using this web site, since I experienced to reload the site many times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and can damage your high-quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my email and could look out for a lot more of your respective fascinating content. Make sure you update this again very soon.. kerassentials

  33. I impressed, I have to say. Really not often do I encounter a blog that each educative and entertaining, and let me inform you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Your concept is outstanding; the difficulty is one thing that not sufficient individuals are speaking intelligently about. I’m very glad that I stumbled across this in my seek for something regarding this. kerassential

  34. خدمة فتح سيارات 24 ساعة للسيارات في الكويت هي خدمة مبتكرة ومريحة تتيح لأصحاب السيارات الاستفادة من خدمات الصيانة والإصلاح في موقعهم الخاص.

  35. خدمة فتح سيارات 24 ساعة للسيارات في الكويت هي خدمة مبتكرة ومريحة تتيح لأصحاب السيارات الاستفادة من خدمات الصيانة والإصلاح في موقعهم الخاص.

  37. خدمة فتح اقفال 24 ساعة للسيارات في الكويت هي خدمة مبتكرة ومريحة تتيح لأصحاب السيارات الاستفادة من خدمات الصيانة والإصلاح في موقعهم الخاص.

  38. خدمة فتح تجوري 24 ساعة للسيارات في الكويت هي خدمة مبتكرة ومريحة تتيح لأصحاب السيارات الاستفادة من خدمات الصيانة والإصلاح في موقعهم الخاص.

  39. خدمة فني مفاتيح 24 ساعة للسيارات في الكويت هي خدمة مبتكرة ومريحة تتيح لأصحاب السيارات الاستفادة من خدمات الصيانة والإصلاح في موقعهم الخاص.

  41. I am really loving the theme/design of your web site. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility problems? A few of my blog readers have complained about my website not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any tips to help fix this issue? https://aitrendytools.com/tool/jobhire

  42. Lanvin sneakers combine luxury craftsmanship with a bold, modern edge, making them a standout in contemporary fashion. Known for their chunky silhouettes, premium materials, and eye-catching designs, these sneakers strike the perfect balance between streetwear style and high-end elegance. Whether dressed up or down, LANVIN SNEAKER elevate any look with effortless sophistication.

  45. I am just commenting to make you know of the fabulous encounter my wife’s daughter gained using your webblog. She picked up plenty of pieces, with the inclusion of what it’s like to have an amazing coaching style to make men and women completely know precisely several complex subject matter. You truly exceeded our own desires. Thanks for delivering those beneficial, healthy, educational and even fun tips about this topic to Sandra. 4k iptv

  46. What i do not understood is if truth be told how you’re not actually much more smartly-appreciated than you might be right now. You are very intelligent. You recognize therefore significantly when it comes to this subject, produced me in my view consider it from numerous varied angles. Its like men and women are not involved unless it’s something to do with Woman gaga! Your individual stuffs outstanding. Always take care of it up! 스포츠 픽

  47. This is actually in addition such a fine writing most people certainly expert wanting by. Its not daily we certainly have probability to consider a little. slot gacor

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *