The People of Angkor
Cambodia’s Angkor period is defined by the six-century rule of the Khmer Empire. The dawn of the Khmer civilization is the subject of an ongoing historical debate, but many scholars consider the reign of King Jayavarman II to be the impetus for a unified Khmer people. His kingship began sometime in the late 8th or early 9th Century when a Brahman priest named Jayavarman II the chakravartin, or universal monarch over Cambodia. Despite the celebrity of Jayavarman II in Cambodian history, the details of his rule are rooted deeper in the sand of legend and lore than in the firm soil of historical fact.
Following the obscure kingship of Jayavarman II, the Great Indravarman usurped the Khmer throne. Indravarman’s rule is characterized by the design and construction of a complex irrigation system, remnants of which still exist today. Under Indravarman’s rule, the young Khmer Empire began conceiving the trademark Angkor architectural style, identified by its strong devotion to Hindu and Buddhist religious concepts. Ingeniously, the Khmer irrigation system was used to embellish the Khmer temples in the form of gargantuan reflection aqueducts and water storage ponds. More than 1,000 years after the rule of Indravarman, we still use water to reflect our buildings, homes, temples, and monuments.
Indravarman’s son, Yasovarman, continued the work of his father, constructing some of the most important temple complexes of the Common Era. Yasovarman is identified as the inaugurator of the Phnom Bakheng and the Lolei Temples. Under his rule, the capital of the Khmer Empire was established in Angkor.
Building the Angkor Wat Temple Complex
From the rule of Yasovarman to the 12th century design and construction of the Angkor Wat temple complex, the Khmer people blossomed into the most significant religious, military, and social civilization in Southeast Asia. Their authority blanketed all of modern-day Cambodia, reaching into Vietnam, China, and across the Bay of Bengal.
King Suryavarman II is responsible for the construction of the Angkor Wat temple complex. He dedicated the temple to Vishnu, the Supreme God of Vaishnavite Hinduism, which remained its patron deity until the Cambodian people consecrated Angkor Wat to Theravada Buddhism in the 14th or 15th Century. Under Suryavarman II, the temple complex also served as the capital of the Khmer Empire and a strategic military post. Curiously, the original name of the temple remains unknown. Historians have not been able to locate any artifacts or inscriptions that refer to the temple complex by name.
The enormity of Angkor Wat was conceived and constructed with a level of precision and intention that continues to evade the modern mind. Some scholars believe that the temple complex was built to take advantage of Angkor’s water-rich agricultural potential. Other scholars attribute the construction of Angkor Wat to the Khmer belief in earth-star harmonization. The temple’s ground plan replicates the position of the stars in the Draco constellation.
Large portions of the Angkor Wat temple complex remain unfinished. Historical theory suggests that construction ended when Suryavarman II died. Regardless of why construction ceased, the temple’s unfinished status adds to Angkor Wat’s mysterious appeal.
Angkor Wat after the Khmer Empire
Since the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 15th Century C.E., Angkor Wat has remained one of the most significant religious structures in the world. Even after the Thais sacked the city in 1431, people from all across Asia continued to take religious pilgrimages to the ruined city, attributing its enormity and beauty to the gods of Hinduism and Buddhism.
The history of the Khmer Empire exists in the stone of Angkor Wat alone. Written inscriptions of the temple’s history, if they ever existed, have escaped modern examination. After the Thai takeover, Buddhist monks continued to preserve and uphold the sacred status of Ankgor Wat, but they overturned the original dedication of the temple to Hindu deity Vishnu. In Vishnu’s stead, the gods and concepts of Buddhism became the ruling principles of Angkor Wat.
In 1860, the French led an expedition into the heart of Cambodia attempting, inspired by the European hunger for exploration and discovery. Since the mid-1800s Europe and the West have been spellbound by the ancient city of Angkor Wat. The French pioneered an Angkor Wat restoration project in 1908 that continues to this day.
EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF ANGKOR WAT
Notable Features: More than 2000 richly ornamented Apsara carvings. Gorgeous sunrise over the northern reflection pond.
Getting There: Angkor Wat, Cambodia is located about 5.5 km north of Siem Reap. It is impossible to miss, for it is the largest monument in Angkor. Any tuk tuk driver or tour guide will know how to get there.
The Angkor Wat temple is one of the most artistically and architecturally exquisite structures in the world. It is the largest religious monument ever built, and it is the showpiece of Cambodia’s Khmer heritage. Rising 65 meters above the earth, Angkor Wat’s presence is majestic and awe-inspiring.
King Suryavarman II built Angkor Wat in the first half of the 12th century, and dedicated the monument to the Hindu deity Vishnu. The carvings that date from this period are absolutely exquisite, depicting an array of Hindu figures and scenarios.
Sometime in the 16th century, Angkor Wat was consecrated to the principles of Theravda Buddhism. Under the veil of Buddhims, the temple was given its modern name. The Buddhist inhabitants of the Angkor Wat temples continued to ornament the monument’s walls and towers. Their work was inferior to the work of Suryavarman II, but intriguing nonetheless.
Angkor Wat Siem Reap represents the climax of the Khmer Empire’s military, political, and cultural dominance across present-day Indochina. It occupies an area of 210 hectares. Its moat alone is over 200 meters wide, and its walls measure 5.5 km in length. Even by modern construction standards, Angor Wat is gargantuan.
The Angkor Wat architects designed the temple in a quincunx formation. A quincunx is a temple blueprint in which 5 prasats (towers) are assembled in an “X” pattern. Cleverly, the ensemble of five towers was arranged in such a way that it can only be fully observed from special angles.
Angkor Wat’s five prasats are erected on a series of three terraced levels. The central prasat sits atop the highest of the three levels, and the remaining four prasats stand beneath it on the second tier.
More than 2000 delicately chiseled Apsara (female cloud spirit) carvings adorn the walls throughout Angkor Wat Siem, representing some of the most superb examples of Khmer art and stonework. The temple’s most detailed carvings can be seen on the exterior wall of the lower tier. This wall depicts scenes from Hindu lore, including fascinating renderings of mythical beasts, animals, and lotus blossoms. Viewing these carvings with a tour guide will help you understand their true meaning.
Curiously, Angkor Wat faces the west. Almost every other Angkorian temple faces the rising sun, or east. Angkor Wat’s westward orientation has led some scholars to believe that it was the burial temple of King Suryavarman II. The setting sun is often used in Khmer imagery to symbolize the cessation of the human life.
Angkor Wat’s interior is not as richly ornamented as the temple’s exterior walls. However, the interior walls still contain hundreds of wonderful bas-reliefs, depicting an array of Hindu images. From the temple’s central prasat, visitors are able to soak in a breathtaking view across the jungles of Angkor. Standing atop the mighty monument will humble visitors, while also inundating them with a sense of power and accomplishment.
The sunrise across the northern reflection pond is a popular tourist attraction. As the sun peaks through the limbs of the Cambodian jungle, the silhouette of Angkor Wat becomes apparent. Once the sunbeams breach the jungle canopy, they illuminate the temple’s red, pink, and salmon-colored sandstone. Every Angkor itinerary should include a sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is best viewed in the light of the early morning or late afternoon. This is when the temple’s stone appears especially brilliant. Furthermore, you will want to spend a lot of time walking around Angkor Wat. After 2:00pm, much of the temple is shaded and, as a result, more comfortable to explore. The heat of high noon in Cambodia can be quite brutal.
0 comments:
Post a Comment