92. ANGKOR

The French had called its former colonies of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam - IndoChina - the thick forested 'borders' of nearby China and India would have merged into these colonies. Its people would have moved freely between these 'countries' than at a time when there were no border controls...

 

When Somerset Maugham referred to the old Raffles Hotel in Singapore as the 'legendary symbol for all the fables of the exotic East', he had not set eyes on Angkor Wat. 

This place took my breath away. Long have I waited for the right travel companion to appreciate Angkor for its spiritual beauty and meaning.
I quietly took in this place with my eyes and communed with it. There was no need to ask my guide many questions, it was all there. 

Angkor Wat was initially a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Only in the 14th or 15th century was it converted to a Theravada Buddhist temple....
proving once again nothing is as it appears to be and not to believe everything we are told or read. 

I wasn't interested to ask how big (I knew it was big) or old (I knew it was old - 900 years) this complex is or who built it. 
Depending on who you ask, some say the 4-face huge sculpture is that of their Khmer king Suryavarman II, others say its Avalokitesvara, a female diety.

The word in Sanskrit literally is 'Lord who looks down' as in watching over them from his perch at the entrance into the temple grounds. 

The Avalokitesvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas and is one of the more widely revered in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism.

The Chinese name for Avalokitesvara is GuanShiyin - is variably depicted as male or female and referred to as Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy) in certain contexts.

 

















In 2009, a news report from Malaysia reported an excavation site in 2 palm oil plantations in northern Kedah state

The ruins indicated it was part of the ancient Hindu kingdom of Bujang, which existed in the 3rd century AD, predating the Cambodian Angkor civilisation which flourished from the 12th -14th centuries. 

They were looking too for a port area as the site was near the sea which would reveal trading took place and influence came from India and China, who would have been the 2 main powers back then.





This puddle becomes a huge lake during the rainy season.

Angkor Wat is a miniature replica of the Universe in stone. The central tower symbolises the mythical mountain, Meru.  

Being Hindu in origin would mean this place was very likely constructed based on Vastu - Vedic feng shui - which would mean, this complex must sit on an important energy center, a meridian point of Mother Earth's body. The entire complex would have to align with the planets of our Universe.

During the scourge of the Khmer Rouge regime, all the action took place in Phnom Penh and for some reason, Angkor Wat was spared destruction for the marauding forces did not take over nor destroy this monument...

Angkor Wat is the largest and most famous in this temple complex, by itself covering 2sq km in area. It's more than 900 years old. Made entirely of sandstone, it's architecture is uniquely Khmer with Indian cultural and aesthetic influences 

 





The South Gate entrance to Bayon Temple...

 

















A river runs through it - civilisations located close to water develop quickly. The Khmer civilisation was way ahead of its time, Angkor Wat is testimony to that
 
 










The Elephant Terrace...








 






















 

These stone pillars are intricately carved - nearly every inch of wall has some work done to it.

As with Thai folklore, the Apsaras - celestial dancers - are a big thing with the Cambodians. It's everywhere - on ancient temple carvings and modern arts and crafts and dances. Their people seem aware of the importance of the yin female energy and its place in creation and the role women play. 

Those patriachal societies which suppress and control women and ill treat them are fearful of the power of women.
The Cambodians are a soft and gentle people. I can't understand why Pol Pot slaughtered his own people. It takes 1 powerful psycho to inflict lots of damage, it can be personal.

These bas-reliefs below cover thousands of feet of wall space. Many panels depict episodes in the lives of Hindu gods. These are probably the longest continuous bas-reliefs in the world

  








 









 



























Their apsara performances appear provincial but I think their props, costumes and sound system are unpretentious. It's raw, authentic...





















 


Wood nymph - she swings from the roots creating her own plaything
















 

 




Ta Prohm is enveloped by the giant roots of centuries-old trees.



















These roots were made famous by the movie Lara Croft, Tomb Raider

 










Land taken from Mother Earth are cleared and built on by man. After man leaves, slowly but surely, Mother takes back what's hers and grows over what man built

 














 


























More steep steps, more like perpendicular ledges that one climbs on all 4's to get to the top of Bakheng Hill, to view the sun set over Bakheng Temple

 








 




 

This 7-headed Naga guards the entrances to most of their temples. Naga is Sanskrit for Dragon and this same word is used in the Malay language and means the same.

'Wat' may be derived from the Sanskrit term 'Vata' or 'Vataka' which means a 'pavilion within an enclosure', whilst 'Angkor' is 'Nagara' (town or city). Angkor Wat could mean 'temple city' or 'city of temples'. Note: The Malay term for country is Negara...

The inside of Angkor Wat has several limestone and granite statues of the Buddha but I don't think they were originally there. Other than these, the steep climb up the stairs is not really worth the effort for those not inclined. Angkor Wat is best viewed from afar.

The arts and crafts are so similar to Thailand's that one may think its somewhere in Thailand. My guide tells me that he has visitors who were told by their Thai guides not to go to Cambodia as its a dangerous place to visit due to land mines. 

The Thais may see neighbouring Cambodia as competition to their tourism industry. Thailand and Cambodia are not the best of friends due to historical baggage. I'll venture to say it's snobbishness - that the Thais look at the Cambodians as their poorer country cousins, when not too long ago, the Thais were there too

Quaint Cambodian 'English' sign is about a fish spa service

Snippets

• *Angkor Wat is just one of the many temples that make up the temple complex. The complex covers more than 400sq km in area, stretches out over 40 miles.
• *This was the capital of the ancient Khmer Empire. It's 308km north-west of today's capital, Phnom Penh.
• *After the decline of the Khmer Empire, the main inhabitants of Angkor Wat were Buddhist monks and the temple eventually came to be better known as a Buddhist temple. Today, it's uninhabited but swarmed by visitors.

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No tribe howsoever insignificant and no nation howsoever mighty, occupies a foot of land that was not stolen....
Mark Twain

20 years from now, you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Explore. Dream. Discover...
Mark Twain