Our Travel Diary of Siem Reap

Duration – 5 days (December 2016)

Getting there – The international airport at Siem Reap is well commented with capital cities of all South East Asian countries and China through direct flights run by a number of budget airline companies and some national carriers. From other parts of the world Siem Reap is well connected via one or two stop flights. We took a one stop flight via Ho Chi Min City from Singapore in Vietnam Airlines as we were travelling with our friends from Singapore - Ranju and Navdeep and their son Aryan.  It made our trip extra special! 

When to Go – The best time to travel to Siem Reap is during the dry season which runs from November to March. That is essentially the winter months in Cambodia though the temperature is around 30°C during daytime, but as it’s a dry season there is very little rain around these months. The dry season is also the most popular months for travellers and hence these months attract crowds.

Staying comfortable – As the temperature in the daytime is around 30°C and in mid twenties during the night, wearing light breathable clothing is the best way to stay comfortable.

Day 1 – Depending on where you are flying from and what time you are arriving at Siem Reap, Day 1 can be spent relaxing in the hotel and exploring the local evening markets in Seam Reap. The Pub Street should be on your radar to visit when you arrive. It has a vibrant feel with clubs with pubs and popular among backpackers. Walk around and explore the various street food stalls around pub street area.  

Day 2 – Start the day with a visit to Angkor Archaeological complex situated just outside the city of Siem Reap.

Angkor Archaeological complex/ park

The Angkor Archaeological complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most important archaeological sites of Southeast Asia. It is located outside the city of Siem Reap and spreads over 400 square kilometres of land. It is a testimony to the architectural and cultural excellence of the great Khmer empire of which Angkor was the ancient capital. This historical site is wonderfully intact considering its age and gives an incredible insight into the grandeur of the Khmer empire from the 9th to the 14th century. They had one of the most advanced water management systems with basins, reservoirs (‘barays’) and canals and temples at the core. As is evident from the history of the Khmer empire, there was a fascinating marriage of religion and governance that was imported from the Indian civilization. These temples have some of the most well-known names in the world today- like Angkor Wat, the Bayon, Preah Khan and Ta Prohm. The architecture of Angkor took into account the geography of the region, the social hierarchy, religious orientations and artistic influences of the time.

At the entrance of Ta Som temple

The Angkor Archaeological park is still inhabited by villagers and sees an ever-increasing inflow of tourists. The western society came to know of Angkor's existence only in the 19th century, after French naturalist Henri Mouhot published his travel notes in 1863.

It is thought that the breakdown of the water management system after long periods of intense rains and draughts contributed to the demise of the Khmer Empire (ref-National Geographic)

To appreciate the Angkor Archaeological park, it is good to spend some time understanding the history (read here) and then reviewing the overall layout of the park as it then gives you clarity amidst the vastness of the structures and helps you weave the story of this civilization. The magic of visiting places like this is to stand where kingdoms once existed in full glory and grandeur!

Layout of Angkor Archaeological park

With the exception of Cambodians everyone entering the Angkor temple complex needs to purchase a ticket which also known as Angkor Pass. The Pass can be purchased from the Angkor official ticket office only and is available with validity of 1, 3 and 7 days. It is non-refundable and non-transferable as the details and picture of the passholder is printed on the pass. Our recommendation is to buy the 3-day Angkor pass as 1 day is barely enough to scratch the surface of this magnificent ancient site.

Angkor Thom

Founded by King Jayavarman VII at the end of 12th century, it translates to ‘Great City’ in Khmer and was once the largest city in Khmer. Jayavarman VII was the most successful rulers of the Khmer empire, and in his reign of 30 years saw the construction of numerous temples, highways, universities, rest houses and hospitals. He started his reign at the age of 61 and died when he was 90.

Angkor Thom was a kind of 'rebuilt exercise' of Angkor's greatness. It was protected by a 8m high wall and surrounded by a wide moat. The city has 5 gates, one in each cardinal direction and an extra one in the east. All the gates bear hour giant stone faces of Jayavarman VII as Bodhisattva. Our initial assumption for the explanation for the existence of the 4 faces, was that it perhaps represent Lord Brahma, the ‘Creator’ of the Hindu trinity – the four vedas are believed to have come from the four heads, each in one direction. However, Angkor Thom was built by Jayavarman VII, a Buddhist King, and the four faces are actually of Jayavarman VII himself as the ‘Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara’, representing the four sublime states of Buddhism – charity, compassion, sympathy and equality.

South Gate

The South Gate or Tonle Om

The South Gate (or Tonle Om in Khmer meaning 'River Boat') is the best preserved of the five gates and is also the most commonly used pathway which leads straight to the Bayon temple. It is an imposing structure – 23m high with 3 towers mounted on top each with four faces. The gate is also flanked by statues of Airavata (Sanskrit) or Erawan (Thai) – the three headed elephant, Lord Indra’s mount or vehicle.

the Asuras (demons) at the South Gate

The pathway is flanked on either side by 154 statues – the smiling faces represent Devas (Gods) and the angry faces represent the Asuras (demons) and the giant serpent is Vasuki, also seen around Lord Shiva’s neck. It depicts one of the most interesting stories from Hindu mythology ‘Samudra Manthan’ which means churning of the (cosmic) ocean. The end goal was to extract Amrit, nectar of immortality. The Devas (Gods) held the head of the serpent Vasuki, the Asuras (demons) held the tail, the Mandara mountain was used as the churning rod and Vasuki as the churning rope to churn out Amrit from the cosmic ocean. This continued for years and in the process a lot of things were churned out before Amrit and amongst them are Apsaras (celestial dancing nymphs) who chose the Devas as their companions. The three headed elephant Airavata that you see on the south gate was also churned out during the Samudra Manthan.The Amrit was finally churned out and was in a jug held by a well-built man called Dhanvantari, an Avatar of Vishnu, who then went on to be the physician of the Devas and the God of Ayurvedic medicine. The Devas consumed the Amrit with some illusive intervention from Vishnu and thus became immortal – perhaps the reason for the smiles on the faces. You will see bas-relief of Apsaras in temples and you can also see bas-relief of Samudra Manthan on the east gallery's south section of Angkor Wat.

The Bayon temple

At Bayon Temple

The Bayon temple was the last state temple to be built at Angkor and is famous for the smiling stone faces. Though similar to Angkor Wat in many respect – the Bayon temple needs to be seen up close to appreciate its beauty which comes largely due to the sheer size of the structures and the enigmatic smiling faces. The temple is built on three levels (temple mountain) and consists of 54 magnificent towers with 216 smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara. The three levels correspond three phases of building, which is believed to be because Jayavarman VII started the construction when he was quite old. So, each phase was completed fully before moving on to the next.

For more detailed information read the blog here.

The Baphoun temple

At the entrance/pathway to the Baphoun temple

Located north of Bayon temple, the Baphuon Temple of Angkor Thom was built during the 11th century by Hindu King Udayadityavarman II as the state temple. The temple was dedicated to Lord Shiva and is also a mountain temple like Angkor Wat and Bayon temple representing Mount Meru- the mythological abode of Gods. In the 15th century, part of the Baphuon was demolished and the stones used to build a very large (9m tall, 70m long) reclining Buddha on the west end of the temple. However, because this was never completed it is difficult to make out the shape.

pathway to the Baphoun temple

The temple is approached by a 200m long raised pathway and has four gateways decorated with bas-relief scenes from Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Steep stairs leading to the terrace of the temple offers a stunning view of the Angkor Archaeological Site.

As the temple was built on land filled with sand, there was lack of stability, demolition done to create the reclining Buddha and other factors led to collapse of the structures. A massive restoration project was initiated in the 20th century, dismantling each block to stabilize the core – this came to a halt when the civil war broke out in 1970. The site was left with around 300,000 labelled and numbered blocks. A second restoration drive was started in 1996 in which all the labelled blocks were put back in place and finally in 2011, the site was opened to the public by the King of Cambodia together with the PM of France. The restoration work in both phases together was a staggering 50 years!

Terrace of Elephants

Stone carving of the Terrace of Elephants

The Terrace of elephants is an important part of the walled city of Angkor Thom and was attached to the palace of Phimeanakas. It was built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century as a viewing platform from where he looked over parades and processions. This 300m long and 2.5m high structure beautifully decorated with carved elephants, stretches from Baphoun temple and connects to the Terrace of the Leper King. The intricately carved and sculpted bas-reliefs and the elephant figures are worth admiring particularly during early morning or evening, when the light is soft. The Terrace has five piers, three in the centre and one at each end. The middle section of the retaining wall adorns some imposing garudas and lions, towards either end are parade of elephants with their mahouts (people who tended to elephants).

Terrace of the Leper King

Stone carving of the Terrace of the Leper King

This is a small platform 7m high, located at the north end of the Terrace of Elephants. It gets its name from the headless statue that stands atop this platform, believed to be of Jayavarman VII, who apparently had leprosy- hence the name Leper King. A more convincing theory is that the statue is of Yama, the Hindu God of death, and that the Terrace was home to the royal crematorium, considering it sits on the north side of the palace. However, the statue is a replica and the original sits in Phnom Penh’s national museum’s courtyard. On the southern side of the Terrace, facing the Terrace of Elephants, is the access to a secret terrace- this is the internal terrace which was built first and then covered up with the outer terrace which eventually helped preserve the stunning carvings of apsaras (celestial dancing nymphs) and nagas (serpents). Both sets of walls were constructed with sandstone and showcase around 5-7 tiers of bas-relief.

Lunch – We ate Khmer cuisine in a local restaurant situated within Angkor Archaeological Site, Khmer Amok – Amok means steam cooked curry in banana leaves or pot. There are three kinds of Amok - cooked in fresh coconut, cooked in pot and cooked in banana leaf. All kinds of meat can be cooked this way but fish amok is the most celebrated dish of Cambodia – not a surprise considering its rich coastline.

Three types of Amok - cooked in pot, cooked in banana leaf and cooked in fresh coconut

Angkor Wat

In front of the Northern Reflection Pond at Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat literally means 'city-temple'. Its importance to present day Cambodia can be seen from the fact that it takes place of pride on the Cambodian flag. It was built by Hindu King Suryavarman II and was dedicated to Lord Vishnu (the ‘Protector’). It also served as an astronomical observatory and mausoleum for the king. The layout of the Wat (temple) is based on the Hindu concept of ‘mandala’ (Sanskrit word meaning the representation of the cosmos). Like other temples this is also aligned to the Hindu mythological concept of Mount Meru – the 5 mountain range that is considered to be the centre of the universe and the axis of the world. The central temple towers over the complex and is steep climb. The towers rise through three levels to a grand central shrine. The temple is surrounded by an expansive enclosure wall, which separates the temple grounds from the moat that surrounds the entire complex. The moat represents the cosmic ocean. Angkor Wat is also known for its intricate Bas-relief in its galleries and pillars. There are 8 stories from the Hindu epic Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas depicted on the walls of the lower. galleries.

For more detailed information read the blog here.

Apsara Dance program and dinner

Apsara dance performance

Set on a stage with buffet dinner arrangements at the rear, this is quite a way to spend an evening in Cambodia. The apsaras are essentially celestial dancing nymphs that were brought out during the process of the Samundra Manthan (read blog on South Gate here). The dancers are truly graceful and look heavenly with their elaborate costumes! A selfie with them at the end does give a more earthly ending to the experience!

Day 3

After breakfast start another day exploring Angkor Temple Complex.

Preah Khan Temple

At the entrance of the Preah Khan temple

The Preah Khan was a ‘temple-city’ built by Jayavarman VII and served as his temporary residence while Angkor Thom was being built. The Preah Khan temple complex was at the heart of this temple city and are the ruins that we see today. The temple was dedicated to Jayavarman VII's father, while Ta Prohm was built in dedication to his mother.

Inside Preah Khan temple

The temple consists of four rectangular enclosures around a central Buddhist sanctuary from which vaulted galleries extend in the cardinal directions and depict bas-reliefs of rishis and apsaras. Like Ta Prohm. Preah Khan has many trees with roots piercing the masonry.

For more detailed information read the blog here.

Temple of Ta Som

At eastern gopura of Ta Som temple

Ta Som appears to be a small-scale version of the Ta Prohm! The main highlight being the massive strangler fig tree growing over the eastern gopura (entrance tower). It is located to the east of the Jayatakata baray (reservoir of Preah Khan).

For more detailed information read the blog here.

Preah Neak Pean Temple

Also called the temple of the entwined or coiled serpents, this small Buddhist temple sits on the central large square pool, surrounded by four smaller square pools arranged in the shape of a cruciform. In the middle of the central pool (Preah Khan Baray or Jayatataka) is a circular ‘island’ encircled by the two nagas (serpents). The four connected pools around the temple, represent the elements fire, water, earth and wind- Hindu concept of balance between all the elements. It is belived that this arrangement represents Anavatapta, a mythical lake in the Himalayas that can cure diseases therefore the locals believe the water in the pool also has healing properties.

Temple of Ta Prohm

In front of the Tomb Raider tree at Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is better known as the Tomb Raider temple (film starring Angelina Jolie). The magic of this temple lies in the surreal image- a temple crumbling under massive roots of imposing cotton-silk and strangler fig trees. This Buddhist monastery was built during King Jayavarman VII's reign and was dedicated to his mother. Unlike other temples which are ‘mountain temples’ where the inner enclosures are higher than the outer ones, this one a ‘flat’ temple and is east facing like most other temples in Cambodia.

For more detailed information read the blog here.

Day 4

Visit to Tonlé Sap Lake

Floating village of Tonle Sap lake

The Tonle Sap lake attaches the Tonle Sap river to the Mekong river and stretches across the northwest section of the country. It is the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia and its dimension changes depending on the monsoon and dry season. During rainy season the lake is filled by water flowing from the Mekong while in the dry season the water flows out from the Lake to the Mekong. This lake has immense biodiversity – many species of freshwater fishes, snakes, crocodiles, tortoises, turtles, otters and a wide variety of birds can be found here. The lake also provides more than half of the fish consumed in Cambodia. At the edge of the lake are floating villages, with towering stilted houses made to withstand the different water levels.

There are four main floating villages – Chong Khneas (with floating school and churches), Kampong Phluk (where locals rear crocodiles!), Kampong Khleang (colourfully painted) and the lesser known Mechrey.

Temple of Bantey Seri

The temple of Banter Seri

This small but one of the most beautiful temples outside Angkor has the best carvings that can be seen anywhere in the world today and is also the only temple not built by a king, but his counsellor. Every inch of this pink sandstone temple is adorned with exquisitely carved male and female divinities and also scenes from the epic Ramayana. Unlike most temples that were built in the 12th-14th century this was built much earlier in the 10th century.

For more detailed information read the blog here.

Evening Local street market outside Siem Reap

This interesting local market has shops on both sides of the road selling everything from fried insects to clothing to shoes.

Day 5:

After 3 days of walking and climbing and visiting lots of temples, we spent day 5 relaxing at the hotel. The spa was one of the best and extremely good value for money. Post lunch we checked out and headed to airport. This was one memorable and enlightening trip with the company of very good friends!

Six Temples Not To Be Missed While In Siem Reap

Angkor Archaeological complex and surrounding areas in Siem Reap have many beautiful temples, from the sprawling Angkor Wat to small but exquisitely carved Banteay Srei. Here are our pick of the six most magnificent temples not to be missed while in Siem Reap in no particular order! they are all stunning in their own right...

Bayon temple

1. The Bayon temple

The Bayon temple was built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th to the early 13th century and was the last state temple to be built at Angkor. The temple is located in the exact centre of Angkor Thom.

There are numerous similarities between Angkor Wat and the Bayon temple. Both were temple mountains (inner enclosures higher than the outer ones- giving the feel of a mountain) and demonstrated the religious affiliation of the ruling king in a strong architectural statement. Angkor Wat was built by the Hinu King Suryavarman II in the 12th century and dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the Bayon temple was built by Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. Both also served as the masoleum of their builder kings. Both make a strong political statement and give us a great glimpse into how the religious orientation dictated the architecture in those days. But unlike Angkor Wat which has a stunning frame and silhouette from a distance, the Bayon temple needs to be seen up close to appreciate its beauty - the sheer size of the structures and the enigmatic smiling faces.

The iconic towers of Bayon temple with smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara

The Bayon temple is built on three levels and consists of 54 magnificent towers with 216 smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara (the bodhisattva of compassion, 'bodhisattva' is a person who has attained enlightenment but delays attaining nirvana in order to help others attain enlightenment). The three levels correspond three phases of building, which is believed to be because Jayavarman VII started the construction when he was quite old. So one phase was completed before moving to the next.

The first two levels are square and adorned with bas-reliefs (the technique where sculptures are carved out so that it is slightly raised from the background). The outer wall of the southern gallery in the first floor depicts scenes from everyday life like meal preparations, cockfights, markets, celebrations etc. The eastern gallery depicts scenes of battles between Khmer and the Chams (originating from Champa Kingdom, now central Vietnam) – one of the ethnic groups in present day Cambodia.

The third level is circular and contains the 54 towers and their 216 smiling faces. It is also believed that the 54 towers represent the 54 provinces at the time and the bodhisattva faces are made in the likeliness of Jayavarman VII and were meant to ‘watch over’ his provinces.

A tree and one of the gopura (entrance) of Ta Prohm temple

2. Temple of Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is better known as the Tomb Raider temple starring Angelina Jolie! The internet is flooded with the rather unreal pictures of a temple crumbling under massive roots of imposing cotton-silk and strangler fig trees. It is this uneasy but true picture of the vulnerability of human creation against nature that makes this such a visited place in the world! If it wasn’t for this weird marriage of architecture and nature, the Ta Prohm temple would have been just another one of the ‘ruins’ in Cambodia.

Ta Prohm means Ancestor of Brahma though we are not quite sure what that means and why it is called so when it was built by a Buddhist King. This was infact a royal Buddhist monastery and a centre for learning, built during King Jayavarman VII's reign. It was originally known as Rajavihara or ‘Royal House’ and was dedicated to his mother. The monastery also served as the headquarters of the huge hospital network that Jayavarman VII had built.

Inside Ta Prohm

Unlike other temples which are ‘mountain temples’ (inner enclosures higher than the outer ones- giving the feel of a mountain) this one a ‘flat’ temple and is east facing like most other temples in Cambodia. It has 5 enclosures and gopuras (entrance towers) in all four cardinal directions. The outermost enclosure is 1km by 600m, and most of the people that were attached to the Ta Prohm temple as dancers, servants and villagers lived within the fifth enclosure. The fourth enclosure had cells for the Buddhist monks of the temple and the walls of this enclosure depict scenes from Buddhism but most of these were destroyed and replaced by Hindu deities during Jayavarman VIII’s reign who was a Hindu and worshipper of Shiva (the 'destroyer'). The fourth enclosure also contains the ‘hall of dancers’ at the eastern end- because of the bas-reliefs depicting dancing apsaras (celestial dancing nymphs). The third enclosure also has carved panels depicting several Buddhist scenes. The innermost central enclosure houses statue of Prajnaparamita which means "the Perfection of Wisdom" in Mahayana Buddhism. The face bears likeliness to the king’s mother. The centre of the monument is reached by a series of towers connected with passages. The different enclosures house around 260 statues. There are numerous towers, closed courtyards and narrow corridors many of which are difficult to access with loose carved stone blocks filling up the narrow spaces.

Ta Prohm is one of the few temples in the Angkor region where a Sanskrit inscription which is still in place, provides us information that give an idea of the scale of the temple. Almost 80,000 people attended and supported the monastery, there were villagers, officials, dancers and priests. The temple also had some mind-boggling property – dishes made of gold, diamonds, pearls, precious stones, silk beds, veils and parasols – hard to imagine considering the derelict state of this place!

One of the many gigantic trees of Ta Prohm temple

The temple was built using sandstone blocks and there was no use of mortar which sort of made it easy for the jungle to take over and once it was abandoned after the fall of the Khmer Empire. When this was ‘discovered’ and restoration work was started by the French in the early 20th century, the overgrowth was clipped to make the site accessible and the core was strengthened. Perhaps a lot of work goes in to maintain this balance of the living over non-living such that the structure doesn’t crumble down.

Some of the things to look out for while at Ta Prohm

• Dinosaur stone carving – Carvings of what seem like stegosaurus are depicted one of the narrow stone columns which remains an area of fascination as dinosaurs as said to have extinct before the evolution of humans but some argue that perhaps some species survived for longer to have appeared in the historic artworks of humans.

The dinosaur stone carving

• The Tomb Raider Tree – Coming into the spotlight in the movie Tomb Raider this stunning strangler fig is worth a big long stare!

The Tomb Raider tree from the famous movie - Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

• The Crocodile Tree – Spreading its roots further and further every year this strangler fig known as the crocodile tree is visible on the easternmost gopura of the central enclosure.

In front of the Crocodile tree

• The Waterfall Tree – With its curvy flowing roots on the walls of the inner gallery, this ‘waterfall’ tree is a strangler fig that seems to be providing a curtain shielding the masonry.

The waterfall tree

• Face Tower – Seen above the west entrance, the four stone faces resemble the ones at the Bayon temple and are believed to be Jayavarman VII as the bodhisattva.

• Hall of Dancers – Inside the fourth enclosure, beautiful bas-relief of the asparas (dancing celestial nymphs), decorate the wall similar to those found in other bayon style temples.

Inside Preah Khan temple

3. Preah Khan Temple

The Preah Khan was a ‘temple-city’ built by Jayavarman VII in the 12th century to commemorate his victory over the invading Cham army, from the neighbouring Champa kingdom in today’s Southern Vietnam. It was therefore called Nagarajayaciri (city of victory) and was inhabited by around 100,000 people including farmers, monks, officials and dancers. It also served as a Buddhist university with more than 1000 teachers and was Jayavarman VII’s temporary residence while Angkor Thom was being built. It also has the massive Jayatataka baray (reservoir) which surrounds the Preah Neak Pean.

The Preah Khan temple complex was at the heart of the Nagarajayaciri city and are the ruins that we see today. The temple was dedicated to Jayavarman VII’s father, while Ta Prohm was built in dedication to his mother.

A large inscribed stone stela (2m by 0.6m) with inscriptions on all four sides gives us useful insight about Preah Khan’s role as a centre for worship and learning. It was discovered in 1939 by a French conservator and includes an invocation to Lokeshvara and Prajnaparamita, pays homage to the three gems of Buddhism (Buddha, Dhamma Sangha), contains praise for king Jayavarman VII and includes other details on population, treasury etc. The stela was originally located within the first eastern enclosure but is now housed at Angkor Conservation in Siem Reap, so don’t go looking around for it!

The outer wall of the temple complex is surrounded by a moat and adorned with 5m tall Garuda (mythological bird) in battle with nagas (serpents). Like Ta Prohm the complex many towers, ceremonial spaces, courtyards, shrines, and connecting corridors and passages, several hundred divine figures but also includes a two-storey Greek style pavilion which still puzzles archaeologists. Preah Khan also witnessed a large number of festivals every year.

The Greek style two-storey pavilion of Preah Khan temple

There are four gates that allow entry into the temple complex, and each has a causeway over the moat. The eastern entrance which is the main entrance is dedicated to Mahayana Buddhism and the other cardinal directions dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma giving this temple somewhat of a ‘fusion’ feel. Today most tourists enter from the west gate near the main road. The bridge over the moat, on the West side of the complex, are bordered by another stunning depiction of the Samudra Manthan, similar to the approach to Angkor Thom and with mostly decapitated heads. (Samudra Manthan means churning of the ocean to extract the nectar of immortality - read South Gate of Angkor Thom for more information here on Samudra Manthan). The eastern entrance has ruins of a small landing stage for boats, and two lions standing guard.

The temple consists of four rectangular enclosures around a central Buddhist sanctuary from which vaulted galleries extend in the cardinal directions and depict bas-reliefs of rishi and apsaras.

The fourth enclosure would have contained wooden houses of villagers. The third enclosure houses the Hall of Dancers with depictions of apsaras (celestial dancing nymphs) located just beyond the Gopura of the east entrance. Above the entrance doors are beautifully carved Devatas (divine figures). The second enclosure has only a narrow gap between it and the first. The inner sanctuary, which is the most sacred part of the temple walls adorned with images of Buddha.

Tree roots and trunks engulfing Preah Khan temple

Like Ta Prohm. Preah Khan has many trees with roots piercing the masonry but unlike Ta Prohm, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation due to the extensive restoration done by the Worlds Monument Fund (WMF) since 1991.

Entrance of Angkor Wat - The largest religious monument in the world

4. Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat literally means 'city temple'. Its importance to present day Cambodia can be seen from the fact that it takes place of pride on the Cambodian flag.

Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century (between 1130 and 1150) by King Suryavarman II. The temple was dedicated to Lord Vishnu (the ‘Protector’ and one of the three of the Hindu Trinity- the other being Brahma- the ‘Creator’ and Shiva- the ‘Destroyer’). It also served as an astronomical observatory and later the tomb King Suryavarman II.

Inside the temple of Angkor Wat

It is interesting to note here that though being one of the most significant religious buildings of the Khmer empire, there is no information on the temple’s name – Angkor Wat (City temple) is quite a generic name for such an important temple. The layout of the Wat (temple) is based on the Hindu concept of ‘mandala’ (Sanskrit word meaning the representation of the cosmos). The central temple is in the shape of a lotus bud- central tower standing tall and surrounded by 4 towers. Like other temples this is also aligned to the Hindu mythological concept of Mount Meru – the 5 mountain ranges that is considered to be the centre of the universe and the axis of the world. (The roof tower crowning the shrine in a Hindu temple represents Meru). This central temple towers over the complex and is steep climb. The towers rise through three levels to a grand central shrine. The temple is surrounded by expansive enclosure wall, which separates the temple grounds from the moat that surrounds the entire complex. The moat represents the cosmic ocean.

One of the many magnificinet and intricate Bas-relief at Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is also known for its intricate Bas-relief (technique of sculpture in which shapes are carved so that they stand out) in its galleries and pillars. There are 8 stories from the Hindu epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and Purana depicted on the galleries of the lower level. On the east galleries on either side of the main entrance are bas-relief of Battle of Lanka (from Ramayana) and Battle of Kurukshetra (from Mahabharata). On the west gallery are the bas-relief of Vishnu’s victory over asuras (demons) on north section and Samudra Manthana on the south section. It is interesting to note that the south gallery (west section) is depicts the procession of Suryavarman II, who built the temple.

It is therefore not surprising that it took around 30 years to be constructed perhaps with thousands of people at work each day.

Stone carved Apsaras of Angkor Wat

It is also interesting to note that many believe that this temple defies the Hindu principle of East facing temples. However, the direction of the temple is determined is by the deity- and Vishnu temples are west facing while Shiva temples are north-east facing. Vishnu is also considered to be supreme God therefore other demi-Gods face in east facing temples then face Vishnu who therefore needs to be in a west facing temple.

The four entrances feature the images of Buddha reminiscent of the rise of Buddhism and decline of Hinduism in Cambodia in the 13th century. Since then the temple is a site of worship for Buddhist monks.

Buddhist monk offering blessing at Angkor Wat

The view of the temple with the large pond to the left creates a dramatic image at sunrise. Recent excavations at the site, point to the existence of another town possibly before the construction of Angkor Wat.

Eastern gopura (entrance) of Ta Som temple

5. Temple of Ta Som

Ta Som appears to be a small-scale version of the Ta Prohm! The main highlight being the massive strangler fig tree growing over the eastern gopura.

It was originally referred to as Gaurasrigajaratna (meaning the gem of the white elephant) and is located to the east of the Jayatakata baray (reservoir of Preah Khan). It is a small temple built in the 12th century by Jayavarman VII and unlike mountain temples (with inner enclosures higher than the outer) is a ‘flat’ temple. The outer wall hardly there now measured 240m by 200m) within which sat a second enclosure surrounded by a moat. The rectangular inner enclosure has towers at the four corner towers and four gateways at each of the cardinal directions, with a central free-standing tower in the middle in the shape of a cross with four

Inside the temple of Ta Som and its intricate stone carving

The first entry tower is bordered with large Garudas (mythological birds) and nagas (serpents). The wall of the second enclosure has entry towers in the shape of a cross on the east and west sides. The entry towers have windows and lead to a porch with pillars. The courtyard is piled with crumbles stones and also has two libraries opening to the west.

Temple of Banteay Srei

6. Temple of Banteay Srei

Unlike most other temples of Angkor, the temple of Banteay Srei is small in stature and is the only temple not commissioned by a king but rather a Brahmin, a counsellor priest to the King and built in the 10th century dedicated to Hindu God Shiva (the destroyer). Every inch of the temple is adorned with exquisitely carved devatas and devis (male and female deities). It was originally called Tribhuvanamahesvara, the name Banteay Srei means “citadel of the women” or “citadel of beauty”. It is speculated that the carvings were mostly done by womenfolk due to the finesse and detail.

A scene from Ramayana on the wall of Baneay Srei temple

The temple is made of pink sandstone. It temple is square and has entrances at the east and west, with the east approached by a causeway. The libraries and the three central towers with male and female divinities also depict scenes from the epic Ramayana.

Banteay Srei’s has some good facilities thanks to the restoration-a large car park, dining and shopping area, exhibition on the history of the temple and its restoration. There is also a small baray behind the temple with boat trips through the lotus pond.

The Story of Cambodia

The story of Cambodia is quite old - archaeological evidence of caves of stone working people date back to 4000 BC. The first urban civilization came into existence in what is now southern Vietnam. They established their capital in Angkor Borei and traded with India and China. This trade with India started a process of ‘Indianization’ whereby elements of Hindu culture, Sanskrit and Buddhism was absorbed by this civilization (referred to as a Funan by the Chinese) and this continued when the Khmer Empire was founded in 802 A.D. by Jayavarman II (who apparently was crowned by a Brahmin priest). The use of the Sanskrit suffix “-varman” by Khmer kings is a testimony to this process, and when Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II in the 12th century, the monument was dedicated largely to the Hindu god Vishnu (protector of creation).

Angkor Wat at sunrise

The Indianization and the process of building temples was more of governance tool used by the Khmer Kings as devotion to Gods for whom they built temples created a strong and loyal following. This process interestingly is not limited to Cambodia but other parts of the region as well. The Khmer empire gained strength and expanded to the now north eastern Thailand, southern Laos and southern Vietnam. But over the years Hinduism saw a decline and rise of Buddhism started from 13th century and most Cambodians converted to Theravada Buddhism leading to the era of stone temples.

Bayon Temple - Angkor Thom

In the 14th century several Theravada kingdom started to break away from the empire and around the same time Thai army attacked Angkor and because of this Angkor was partially abandoned and the capital was moved closer to Phnom Penh. Vietnam also started slow encroachment of Cambodian territory. For the next 500 years, frequent wars continued between Thailand and Vietnam over Cambodia. This prompted King Norodom to invite the French (who had colonized southern Vietnam) to set up a protectorate in Cambodia in1863. The French eventually made it into a colony and exploited the country’s natural resource. During this time, they laid the first, roads, railways and rubber plantations, but did little else that benefitted the country. Cambodia gained independence from the French in 1953 after a royal crusade launched by Prince Norodom Sihanouk who had been crowned by the French as the 19 year old king during World War II.

However post-independence Sihanouk gave up his throne and started a political party and ruled Cambodia for many years without any opposition. Pol Pot and his communist party (Khmer Rouge), notorious for the genocide in Cambodia had little support or power at the time. However, around 1968, the war in Vietnam started to spill over in Cambodia and following a pro-American military coup Sihanouk was overthrown. He however joined hands with Khmer Rouge, North Vietnam and China and what ensued for the next 5 years is the Cambodian civil war. In 1975, Khmer Rouge fighters invaded and took over the capital city of Phnom Penh, thereby winning the war against the military. But the Khmer Rouge decided not to restore power to Sihanouk, but instead to Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot. Prince Norodom was forced to live in exile.

What happened next is the most disturbing time of the Cambodian history. Pol Pot who was an admirer of farming tribes of rural northeast Cambodia because their self-sufficiency and lack religious (Buddhism) affiliations. He embarked on a mission to re-create this rural, agricultural and self-sufficient Cambodia. He renamed the country to Kampuchea, declared the year 1975 as ‘Year Zero’, abolished the country’s currency and made it illegal to own private property or practice religion. He also forced hundreds of thousands of city-dwellers into rural farming and executed thousands of intellectuals or even those appearing to be intellectuals (wearing glasses or speaking a foreign language). Special centres were established in the cities to carry out this torture and execution and the most notable is the Tuol Sleng jail (formerly a school) in Phnom Penh, where nearly 17,000 men, women and children were imprisoned. Workers on the farms overseen by Khmer Rouge guards also died of overwork, abuse, starvation and disease. An estimated 2.2 million people died during what became known as the Cambodian Genocide.

Restored stone sculptures from Angkor Thom

Then in 1979 the Vietnamese Army of around 100,000 invaded Cambodia and got rid Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge from power (but they continued to remain active as an insurgency). Vietnam established the People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) and stationed 200,000 troops in the country and therefore managed to get normalcy back- reintroducing currency, opening schools and reviving Buddhism.

A Buddhist monk in Angkor Wat

It withdrew troops in 1989. Then in 1991, the temporary UN protectorate was established, and this saw the repatriation of Khmers from Thailand, and the general elections were held which was won by the royalists. Sihanouk was crowned as the King again and foreign minister (Hun Sen) from PRK took up the position of the Prime Minister in 1993.

Pol Pot who lived in the rural northeast of the country was never brought to justice and died in 1998. The harrowing regime is depicted in films like ‘First they killed my father’ 2017 and ‘The killing fields’, 1984.

References

DK Eyewitness travel- Cambodia and Loas

www.history.co.uk