Fractured Vishnu, Rescued Harihara and Art Thieves. National Museum, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

National Museum (Courtesy:wikipedia)

Fractured Vishnu, Rescued Harihara and Art Thieves

                                          National Museum, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Stone Statue of  the Leper King at the Entrance
Photo: Christophe95, Wikimedia Commons

                                                                                   

The National Museum of Cambodia is located in Phnom Penh, next to the Cambodian Royal Palace. This magnificent brick-red monument was designed by George Groslier in traditional Khmer architecture and was inaugurated on 13^th April 1920. The museum was closed from 1975-1979 during Khmer Rouge Regime when the ‘dogs of war’ played havoc with education, culture, cities, religion, industries and above all, the population of Cambodia. Many employees of the museum were killed and the abandoned museum became the home for a colony of bats with the rooms filled with bat droppings. The museum’s structure turned precarious with its rotten wood. The garden was a jungle .But the most horrific thing was, the valuable collection was stolen or damaged. After normalcy returned in Cambodia the museum was tidied up and renovated, the artifacts reorganized in record time and reopened on 13^th April 1979. There are no ramps or elevators for differently-abled persons inside the museum. An idol of Lord Ganesh adorns one corner of the garden.

Lord Ganesh     (photo:Bulbul Sur) 

 

The museum is indeed spellbinding, displaying the world’s largest collection of ancient Khmer artifacts, huge sculptural assemblage of Buddhism and a massive amount of sculptures of Hindu Gods, Goddesses and religious symbols of Hinduism.  

Shivalinga made of Bronze, Quartz and Silver
Photo: AKS. 9955 ,Wikimedia Commons

It is Cambodia’s largest museum of cultural history and one of the biggest historical and archaeological museums in the country. The large, standalone sculptures are exhibited on stools or tables while the smaller ones are encased in glass. It is reported that thousands of artifacts are still lying in the basement of the museum waiting to be categorized and displayed. There was no booklet available, so it was difficult to remember the names of the sculptures. The lady guide was very soft spoken but there was no problem in hearing her because we got transmitter-charged radios. She was an encyclopedia of Hindu religion.

Trimurti 
Photo: AKS.9955, Wikimedia Commons

In Hinduism, the Trimurti or Triumvirate consists of three Gods, Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. In the museum, an 11^th century sandstone Trimurti of the Angkor period is displayed.  

Reclining Vishnu.

One of the most striking sculptures in the museum is a bronze statue of reclining Vishnu. Lord Vishnu is one of the supreme Hindu Gods in whose obeisance, Suryavarman II of the Angkor dynasty constructed the stupendous Angkor Wat temple.  

There is an interesting story behind the discovery of this statue. It was found in West Mebon, a temple located in the center of West Baray in Angkor, Cambodia. The temple is typical of Khmer architecture—temples surrounded by moats (deep, wide ditch filled with water) to signify the Hindu God of creation. In 1936, a local villager is said to have dreamed that an image of the Buddha was buried in West Mebon and it wished to be liberated from the site. During excavations, fragments of an 11^th century bronze statue of Lord Vishnu were unearthed in a platform at the West Mebon temple.  The fragments included the God’s head, upper torso and two right arms. The statue in complete form would have measured six meters in length. The statue is in a reclining position, as if on the ocean. Vishnu is integral to the ocean, being the architect of the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan).That is why West Baray was created so large to give the semblance of a real ocean. It is an 11^th century reservoir built in the reign of King Suryavarman 1 (1006-1050) and completed in King Udayadityavarman II’s reign (1050-1066). It is the largest reservoir of the Angkor era with a length of 7,800 meters. It is fed by fresh water from two main sources: Siem Reap and Puok River.  It is navigable by boat and even contains a raised-earth, ancient island built by Udayadityavarman II. It is located just west of Angkor Thom.

West Baray    (photo: Bulbul Sur)

Reclining Vishnu
Photo: Clay Gilliland, Wikimedia Commons

 Reclining Vishnu is the largest known bronze sculpture in Khmer art. It was brought to the National Museum in Phnom Penh on the 1^st of December, 1950. Archaeologists have found an 11 – 12^th century sprawling bronze workshop adjacent to the ancient royal palace in Angkor Thom under the reign of Jayavarman VII, the God king. This workshop yielded unfinished bronze sculptures, furnace, metal and crucibles. 

Harihara

Harihara is another important 7^th century stone sculpture displayed in the museum. This life-sized statue is a combined depiction of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara), representing the preserver and the destroyer of the universe. It was from the Phnom Da Temple in Takeo province of Southern Cambodia. The head was removed by the French during French colonial rule and shipped away to France between 1882 and 1883.It was displayed at France’ Guimet Museum.

Harihara 
Photo: Vladimir Renard, Wikimedia Commons

Fortunately, the head was returned by the French and a big welcoming ceremony was held in the National Museum on January 21^st, 2016. In the presence of  the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Sok An, about 200 government officials, representatives of foreign governments, ambassadors and Guimet Museum’s officials, the 47 kilogram head was reattached to the body. Mr. Sok An termed the reunion as ‘symbolic of prosperity’ according to Khmer culture.

        

Lakshmi Lintel

If Lord Vishnu is the preserver and keeps the cosmos functioning harmoniously as a perfect whole, then His consort Goddess Lakshmi is His force, the Shakti which helps Him to accomplish His challenging task. In the National Museum, there is a red, sandstone Lintel celebrating Lakshmi. It belongs to the pre-Angkor period, in the first half of the 7^th century. Lakshmi signifies prosperity, fertility and power.  

Garuda:  

In the museum, there is a statue of Garuda, the lord of the birds, part bird and part man and the battle steed of Lord Vishnu. It is made of sandstone, in Koh Ker style and is from the 10^th century Angkor period.

Garuda
Photo: AKS.9955,Wikimedia Commons

Durga Mahishasuramardini

A sandstone sculpture of Durga Mahishasuramardini is also on display. It belongs to the early 7^th or late 8^th century, pre-Angkorian period. The Goddess is wearing a Vishnu crown showing her allegiance to Lord Vishnu.

Art Thieves

The problem of stolen artifacts is grave in Cambodia. The country has a rich cultural and historical heritage with 4,000 archaeological sites. But many of these sites were looted during French colonial rule, during Cambodian civil war and political instability. Numerous artifacts had been stolen and illegally trafficked out of the country. A 1993 Cambodian law prohibits the removal of cultural artifacts without government permission. Cambodian government has appealed to other countries to return Cambodian artifacts. Museums and auction houses in the USA have returned 6 looted ancient statues to Cambodia in the past few years while Thailand returned 16 smuggled, ancient artifacts to Cambodia.

In October 2015, a Norwegian businessman returned 11 artworks to the National Museum. These included a priceless Khmer sculpture of a Preah Ko temple styled, 9^th century head of Shiva and a late 12^th century Bayon-styled Male Divinity.

Two, huge, sandstone Brahma statues displayed in the museum were also looted from Koh Ker archaeological site in the 70s, during Cambodia’s civil war. They were set up for sale in a shop in Paris for $1 million. They were brought back to Cambodia after a long legal process. 

In April 2015, Cambodia collaborated with the US authorities to repatriate $ 3 million worth of Cambodian antiquities reportedly smuggled into the US by a New York art dealer.    

A 10^th century Hanuman statue which was stolen from Prasat Chen Temple during the 70s’ civil war was part of a Cleveland Museum’s collection since 1982.It was returned to the National Museum in Phnom Penh amidst a ceremony in May 2015.

Besides displaying priceless collections, preserving them and providing them excellent security, the National Museum also repatriates stolen cultural property of Cambodia from other countries.

According to a report in Phnom Penh Post, Pich Keo, the Director of the National Museum had said, “As you can see, the National Museum is difficult to protect. The thieves like it so much that we need a strong security force on guard every single day, 24 hours a day.”

It is illegal to click photos inside the museum. But photography in the museum’s garden is not prohibited.

Address: Preah Ang Eng St. (13), Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all seven days of the week.

        

Tags:  West Baray, West Mebon, Art Thieves. Phnom Penh.

Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Jamnagar:Home of Sea and Shore Birds

Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary,Jamnagar:Home of Sea and Shore Birds
Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary,Jamnagar:Home of Sea and Shore Birds 

Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Jamnagar: Home of Sea and Shore Birds

Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, the largest bird sanctuary in Gujarat is just 12 km away from the main city of Jamnagar . It was officially declared a sanctuary on 6^th November, 1982 (May, 1981 according to some reports). There was no way we could miss the sanctuary because a huge signboard beckoned us, “Welcome to Bird Sanctuary Khijadiya Jamnagar”. We knew we were approaching a bird territory even before we had reached it. We suddenly heard strange whistling sounds and I began to think, “Is a car backing? I wonder why car manufacturers do not make more such backing horns to stop noise pollution!” Then we saw white birds sitting on the pebbly rivulet and we realized this was the source for those anti-noise pollutants.

Khijadiya is a distinctive man-made wetland in the northeast coastal region of Jamnagar district, which is itself situated in a semi-arid biographic zone in India. The best time to visit this sanctuary is from October to March. The timings are 6:30 am to 6.00 pm.                                                                                                                                                        

We passed through Khijadiya village and we noticed the world’s tallest bird, the sarus crane standing in a puddle. Small village children played nearby but nobody was disturbing the bird and the crane looked relaxed too. We reached the office and paid the car fee of rupees 250 and camera fee of rupees 100.The gentleman at the office was very knowledgeable .He took us to an Interpretation Center which is a storehouse of knowledge. Large boards full of information adorned the walls. The center educates tourists on the various species of resident and migratory birds that visit the sanctuary. There are different models of birds erected in it, complete with nests and trees. It is advisable to carry drinking water because when we visited the sanctuary, we only saw lakes, birds, greenery and nothing else. This was in December, 2010.

Marshland

There are abundant birds in this sanctuary because it is situated at 70 degree -7`-17”east longitude and 22 degree -31`-27” west latitude, a conducive breeding and wintering ground for migrating birds. It is located along the Indus flyway, one of the world’s major routes for migratory birds, stretching from Siberia to the Indus valley delta in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan, with a small portion in western India’s Kutch. It is also close to the Gulf of Kutch, a central Asian flyway route, which is an important migration path of water birds covering Indian subcontinent, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Lake and Inland Vegetation Hosting a Lonely Snowy Egret

The sanctuary is 6.05 square km in length. On its one side is the sea and on the other side is fresh water which makes it a unique coastal as well as freshwater wetland. There are two embankments /bunds created to prevent saline water to flow into the mainland and to stop fresh water draining into the sea. These bunds were constructed by the royal family of Jamnagar before independence, in the 1920s and 30s, which has led to the formation of two fresh water lakes.

Embankment Separating the Sea and the Freshwater

 The bunds help to prevent the seepage of salty water into the soil and to store freshwater in lakes drained from Ruparel and Kalindri rivers. The bunds are constructed with a slope so that when the  lakes overflow with rain water or surplus water from the rivers, then the excess water flows into the Gulf of Kutch (north-eastern arm of Arabian Sea) through the creeks on the other side of the embankments. Healthy, marine vegetation like marshes, salt pans and mangroves grow in these creeks. There are also various types of inland vegetation such as prosopis juliflora, forest scrub, deshi babul, pilu and others. Sedges and tall grass grow on the small islands in the lakes. Geographical features like mudflats, marshy land and sandy beaches are found in the sanctuary. Farmlands border the area.

A View of the Lake

Small Islands of Tall Grass

Garganey Ducks near Sedge Bushland

Sandy Beach

Prosopis vegetation

Mangroves

Since it is a rare complex of saltwater-freshwater wetland so there is a variety of habitats and ecosystem. It provides conducive ‘breeding, feeding, roosting and staging grounds’ for diverse marine and freshwater species of birds during various seasons of the year. Hence, more than 250 to 300 species of birds congregate here, including the globally threatened Dalmatian pelican, Asian open bill stork, black-headed ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, Indian skimmer, painted stork and crab plover.  Black-necked storks which are not found anywhere in India are seen here in abundance. Freshwater birds such as herons, grebes etc. are found here. Brahminy kite, grey francolin, Indian spotted eagle, pheasant-tailed jacana, common greenshank, garganey, common teal, comb duck, Indian pond heron, demoiselle crane are sighted in this sanctuary. In 1984, Salim Ali, the legendary Indian ornithologist and naturalist spotted 104 species of birds on a single day here.

A Solitary Black Heron

Lesser Flamingos

Great Egret or Great White Heron

Rosy Pelicans near Mudflats

Dalmatian Pelicans: An Endangered Species and a Painted Stork in Flight

This distinctive wetland attracts a large number of birds to nest in the winter season of the year. There are different types of nests —nests on trees, nests on the ground and nests on the water (floating nests). Many varieties of ducks make floating nests. 

There are two watch towers on the eastern and northern parts. We came from the main road and turned right. The murram road narrows considerably and on the left side is a huge lake. Brahminy ducks were near the shore but at the sound of the Sumo they flew away and hid under the water. I waited in vain to see them resurface because I could clearly hear their quacking. But they refused to come up. As we were leaving, we saw the birds paddling ferociously yet gracefully—power with poise.

Brahminy Ducks

The lake narrowed into a stream and in this stream, on a skeletal, forked wood sat 2 Cormorants: black with yellow eyes, one of them stuck out its chest and stood upright. Another dried its wings.

 Cormorants and Black-necked Ibis (at the distance)

The sanctuary plays host to birds who prefer marine, freshwater or both kinds of habitats as there is a freshwater environment on one side of the bund and a marine environment on the other. The birds get both types of food—freshwater and saltwater. The pelican on the side of the sea gets its food from the salt pan.  Cranes, hornbill, quail get their food from the crop field. There is an unmistakable food chain. The fresh water breeds lush vegetation and plankton. Fish and insects feed on them. Birds feed on these fish and insects.

Murram Pathways

Then we came to another narrow road which is sort of an uphill climb. The water below had dried up recently because the mud was still wet. From here we could see the tail of a lake where a lonely, large pelican looking like a small, white boat was floating in the water.

A Pelican near Salt Pan

But what’s this? From the mud dam we could see a gleaming, white, circular island of huge, Casablanca lilies. Everything was very silent. Only a faint, unseen, gurgling sound was coming from somewhere. It was a perfect, suspenseful setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s movie ‘Birds’. We walked very slowly towards the small, white island  through the walking tracks, crossed the shrub forests, came closer to the lake and we were astounded at reality. A large group of uniform white storks with protruding backs, hunched their heads in a huddle, as if they were mourning or meditating or perhaps waiting for their kill.

Lily-like snowy Island of  White Storks

 

They continued to be in a huddle and it seemed an eternity. We could not wait so long as we had other things to watch. We climbed up a watchtower and saw a view of another lake where mallard ducks were making the afternoon-shadow on the water blacker, with their shiny black coat. Amidst the huge water bodies are small islands complete with trees and shrubs or a single tree. In some places the shadow of the tree was shaping the water with its blackish rondure.

Island with Pilu and Deshi Babul Trees

Then we came back to the lily-like island and there was a slight movement in the mass of white. A white stork flew away and we could see its large, orange beak and webbed feet. Another flew away, then another until there were only a few left, holding the fort. Did we disturb them? It seemed as if the young had flown away leaving the old and infirm behind. No country for old birds.

Nilgais (antelopes), wolves, mongoose, jackals, rabbits, jungle cats and a few varieties of snakes are also found in Khijadiya bird sanctuary but we did not see any of them.

 When we went in 2010, in December, we were the only visitors there along with our driver. The setting was peaceful. The guide forbade our Sumo to go to all places because the roosting and nesting of birds might be disturbed.

But according to some reports, in 2016 there was a drastic fall in the number of migratory birds .This decline is attributed to the construction and development activities inside the sanctuary causing large stretches of vegetation to be cut down. Lots of benches are placed near water bodies so that visitors can watch birds; completely heedless of the fact that such close proximity of humans might disturb the birds. Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary has now become a ‘tourist spot’ or ‘public park’ wherein  visitors talk loudly, burst firecrackers when there is a marriage party. But hopefully all efforts are being made by nature lovers, bird enthusiasts, ornithologists to preserve this exceptional freshwater-saltwater sanctuary and stop its despoilment.

You can combine a visit to the sanctuary and a pilgrimage because the ancient, holy city ,Dwarka is just 148 km away and Nageshwar Jyotirling is 16 km  away from Dwarka. Jamnagar is connected by road through private, luxury buses and state transport buses to all important cities from Gujarat especially Ahmedabad and Vadodara. There are daily trains on the western railway with direct connections to Ahmedabad. Various domestic flights connect Jamnagar to Mumbai and Jamnagar airport is just 10 km away from the main city.

Jamnagar Refinery, a crude oil refinery owned by Reliance Industries Limited is in Moti Khavdi which is just  58 km from Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary (1 hour 19 minutes via NH 947) . It is the largest refinery in the world and located so close to a functioning coastal ecosystem is abundant proof that nothing is impossible. Environment and Economy can coexist harmoniously. There can be a symbiosis between  commerce, cash and undisturbed natural habitat.

Higher still and higher
From the earth thou springest
Like a cloud of fire;
The blue deep thou wingest,
And singing still dost soar, 
and soaring ever singest.
(P.B. Shelley)

                                                                                                  Photographs: Bulbul Sur

Tags: Salt pan, Mangrove, Murram Pathways, Moti Khavdi, Dwarka, Prosopis

Ta Prohm : Mysterious Beauty

Ta Prohm : Mysterious Beauty

Ta Prohm is best described as a mysterious jungle temple. It is located approximately one kilometer east of Angkor Thom and it was established by the Khmer king Jayavarman VII.

Entrance to Ta Prohm

The parking area was again full of Tuk-Tuks eager to ferry us to the main temple. As we talked loudly among ourselves, haggling with the Tuk-Tuk drivers, calling out our partner’s names, two policemen suddenly materialized from their small outpost at one corner of the gate and forbade Tuk-Tuks from entering the campus because it was illegal. To all our entreaties they said a smiling, but firm, “NO.” So we started walking, cursing ourselves for our talkativeness and envying the silent foreigners who had whizzed past us quietly in Tuk-Tuks. The monument was about 700 meters away from the gate. The wide road was again cut through dense jungles on either side. 

Road Leading to the Temple

At the entrance there was a signboard showcasing Archaeological Survey of India cooperating with the Cambodian government for maintaining the structures. 

Signboard

History

After walking and walking, we came to a high platform and from then onwards, the temple premises started. The temple complex is 1 km long and 350 meters wide. It was built to honor the royalty and it used to be a monastery and a university of Mahayana Buddhism. According to the commemorating Stele (stone slab), the foundation date is 1186 A.D. It was originally called Rajavihara (royal temple/monastery of the king). Jayavarman VII constructed Rajavihara in honor of his family. The temple’s main image representing Prajnaparamita (personification of wisdom) was modeled on the king’s mother. Satellite temples were dedicated to the king’s guru and elder brother. Temple’s Stele records state that it was occupied by 12,500 people which included 18 monks,2,740 priests,2,232 maids and 615 dancers in its heyday.3,140 villages and 79,365 people served the temple and also provided supplies .The temple had amassed considerable riches like  gold, pearls and silks. It was also called ‘Queen’s Tomb’, because it was built by Jayavarman VII to worship his mother Jayarajachudanami. Today it is only known as Ta Prohm, meaning ancestor Brahma.

Architecture

Ta Prohm is a flat, Khmer temple—not temple pyramid or temple mountain. It is oriented to the east. There is a central sanctuary surrounded by rectangular walls. The outer wall encloses an area of 650,000 square meters which is the size of a substantial town. But now it is largely forested.

Map of Ta Prohm 

The inner enclosures are galleried. Basic plan is complicated. We were entering dark corridors, and coming out into open courtyards quite a few times. 

Entering a Dark Corridor Through a Courtyard

The courtyards are not vast. They are surrounded by other buildings such as libraries, satellite temples, and hall of dancers and house of fire. The house of fire means rest houses / dharamshalas providing fire to the tired travelers. This fire can also mean the sacred fire used during religious ceremonies. Most of the structures are in rack and ruin. There are not many bas-reliefs like Angkor Wat except for some depictions from Buddhist mythology.

Roots, Woodland and Architectural Style

 The courtyards are photogenic because of the crumbling architecture, with huge blocks of antique stone strewn or gathered in a heap; but mostly because of the trees growing out of the ruins and clasping the structures into a tight embrace with their ancient roots. The ambience is mysterious, awe inspiring and gorgeous. While the trunks of silk cotton trees and strangler fig trees compete with other to reach the sky, their anaconda-like roots coil around the buildings as if holding the bricks and stones from collapsing any further. 

Roots of Ancient Trees

Gigantesque Trees with Aerial Prop Roots

One courtyard was particularly crowded because it was the location for the Hollywood movie, ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’. People furiously clicked photographs and selfies there. The foreigners too went ‘click click’ perhaps because,“Angelina Jolie had shot her scenes here,” as our guide excitedly informed us, 

When the capital of the Khmer empire was destroyed by Siam (Thailand), and the Khmer kings left to Phnom Pehn in the 15^th century, the temple was forgotten and smothered by the jungle until it was discovered in 1860 by Henri Mouhot. The Siamese (Thais) were traditional enemies of Khmer. According to oral tradition, king Ang of Khmer (1516-1566) had named the place Siem Reap after he repulsed an army sent to invade Cambodia by the Thai king. Siem Reap means defeat of Siam (Thailand) in Khmer language.

UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the world heritage list in 1992.The conservation and restoration of Ta Prohm is a partnership project of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) and Apsara (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor Wat and the region of Siem Reap.)

Restoration was done without spoiling the character and atmosphere of the place and by leaving untouched the areas merging with the jungle .ASI controlled the ruins, built wooden walkways, platforms, roped railings, to protect the monument from further damage due to the large tourist inflow. It’s a tough job for the conservators to keep the structures safe from the tentacles of the giant trees. We saw a Hydra crane near one of the structures, doing its work of conservation in the midst of the huge tourist footfall.

We were filled with awe as we walked back to the gate, through the road canopied by dense foliage and hearing the chattering of monkeys and trills of parrots. The Khmer kings, who controlled most of South-East Asia till the 15^th century and the builders of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm were indeed superlative. Henri Mouhot, who discovered these structures had wondered “….what had become of this powerful race, so civilized, so enlightened the authors of these gigantic works?”

All are matchless, evoking different feelings. While Ta Prohm has a romantic, thrilling image of a battle between nature and architecture, of tree roots penetrating into ancient, religious ruins, Angkor Thom is to find order in the disordered jungle of structures. While the former is a celebration of Jayavarman VII’s family, the latter is his personal celebration by modeling the Face Towers on himself. But Angkor Wat stands tall with its divinity, because it is the embodiment of a king’s true devotion and selfless offering of all his resources to his God, his protector and his very essence, Lord Vishnu. 

Photographs: Bulbul Sur

Tags:  Henri Mouhot, Ta Prohm, ASI, Siem Reap

Angkor Thom: A Majestic Marvel

Angkor Thom: A Majestic Marvel

Angkor Archaeological Park is just 20 minutes away from Siem Reap. After seeing Angkor Wat, we came back to the city for lunch. Siem Reap has many Indian restaurants with such names, ‘Namaste India’, ‘The Indian Restaurant’,’ Bombay Kitchen’, ‘Vanakkam Dakshin’ etc. We entered one such restaurant and was greeted with ‘Namaste’ and a welcome drink: hot rasam served in small, steel glasses. From then onwards, delicious South Indian dishes appeared in quick succession: pakoras, sambar, rice, cauliflower curry, papad, and black payasam made with Cambodian rice. The soft rotis were large like men’s handkerchiefs. Food was served by smiling sari-clad, Cambodian girls.

After lunch we started for Angkor Thom, but this time we were ferried in a mini bus because large buses are not allowed in the campus.

History

After Suryavarman II’s death (between 1145 and 1150 A.D.), kings of Khmer empire ruled briefly, and in 1177, an army of Chams conquered Angkor and annexed it in the province of Champa (now the central region of Vietnam).

Meanwhile Jayavarman VII of Khmer dynasty (1181-1219) gathered an army and regained the capital, Yosodharapura (Angkor). He defeated Champa in 1203 and conquered large parts of its territory. He built a new capital, Angkor Thom (Great city). Angkor Thom is also known as Nokor (Sanskrit word, nagara) meaning city. Thom means great in Khmer.

Architecture

South Gate of Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom is about a quarter of a mile away from Siem Reap River and lies on its west bank. We entered through the well-preserved south gate flanked by a moat.  A causeway spans the moat. On each side of the causeway are railings fashioned with stone figures in the attitude of a tug of war: 54 giant Devas on the left pulling one end of the snake vasuki. On the right are 54 asuras, pulling the other end of the snake in the opposite direction. This appears to be a reference to the myth popular in Angkor, of the churning of the sea of milk or Samudra Manthan. The faces of the statues are quite expressive. Some of the heads on these figures are copies. The original ones have been removed and are at the Angkor conservancy in Siem Reap. 

Statues of Devas and Asuras enacting Samudra Manthan

The entrance gate of Angkor Thom is shaped like an upside-down U. The central tower of the stone gate is spectacular with three face towers. Below them are two elephant statues on either side. Sitting on each elephant is Devraj Indra with his weapon vajra (thunderbolt).

Face Tower at the Entrance Gate

The main attraction in Angkor Thom is the Bayon Temple. It was established in the late 12^th century and has an area of 9 kilometers. It is located at the exact center of Angkor Thom. The original name of Bayon was Jayagiri (Victory Mountain).After the French occupied Cambodia, it was called Banyan temple because of the tree’s religious significance, as Lord Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under the Banyan tree. When the local Khmer workers came to renovate the temple they pronounced Banyan as Bayon and the name stuck since then.

It was the last state temple to be constructed at Angkor and the only Angkorian temple to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine because Jayavarman VII was a follower of Mahayana Buddhism. There is a story behind his religion. His first wife, Jayaraja Devi had a huge influence on him. During those times, there was a custom that when kings went to war, their queens would spend their time in the palace in divine contemplation. While Jayavarman VII was away in Champa, Jayaraja Devi immersed herself in prayers and meditation. But sadly, she passed away before Jayavarman VII’s return. He was heartbroken at his wife’s death. Later on, he married Indra Devi, Jayaraja Devi’s sister. Indra Devi was a follower of Buddhism and she was instrumental in converting Jayavarman VII into a Buddhist. He was the only king in the Khmer Empire to be a Buddhist.

After his death, the temple was changed to Hinduism. In later centuries, when Theravada Buddhism became dominant there were further changes in the temple, until it was ensnared by the jungle.  It was abandoned some time before 1609.

Ruins in Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom is built in the Bayon style of architecture which means massive scale of the buildings, widespread use of laterite and Face Towers.

Profusion of Face Towers

The afternoon sun was sending forth blazing rays and the mass of architecture which looked like a heap of rubble from afar, challenged our strength. But once we reached nearer to the structure, its beauty and grandeur energized us and the chaotic rubble took shape. We could see a collection of 54 towers encompassing a total of 216 peacefully smiling, enormous faces. According to some scholars, the faces are in the likeness of king Jayavarman VII himself. In the tradition of Khmer kings he thought himself as Devraja .The only difference was, while his predecessors were Hindus and considered themselves to be of the same substance as Shiva or Vishnu, Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist identified himself with the Buddha and the Bodhisattva.

Face Tower Resembling Jayavarman VII

While Angkor Wat is spacious with open galleries and courtyards, huge enclosures, towering staircases, all the elements in Bayon temple are crowded against each other. This place was also jammed with global population and there is a lot of ascending and descending because the structures are on three levels. There are libraries, galleries, pavilions, towers, terraces, corridors in this architectural jumble. 

A View from a Corridor 

Global Population at Angkor Thom

Gallery ,Steps and Corridor 

 Though the stone steps are steep and huge, they are manageable because they are smaller in number (compared to Angkor Wat). The inner gallery has scenes from Hindu mythology, of the members of Trimurti, apsaras, Ravana and Garuda. The upper terrace has the famous face towers with each tower supporting gigantic, serene, smiling faces clustering around the central peak.  As we climbed down from the upper terrace we visited a small, very dark Buddhist temple (complete with a priest) on the left side of the landing.  

Dark, Buddhist Temple

Other monuments in Angkor Thom are: the Terrace of elephants which is 350 meters in length and is decorated with carved elephants. It depicts in stone a famous battle in Khmer history. It was also the viewing platform from where Jayavarman VII is said to have watched his victorious armies return from battle. The terrace overlooks a vast field which was once the parade ground during Jayavarman VII’s reign. He used to watch parades, games and processions from there. The terrace of the Leper King, showcasing the Bayon style is in the northwest corner of the royal square of Angkor Thom and was  built under Jayavarman VII .The terrace derives its name from a statue found in the 15th century, representing Yama, the Hindu God of Death. The statue is called the Leper King because the discoloration and moss growing on it made it look as if it were suffering from leprosy. Some historians suggest that it might represent the Angkorian king, Yosovarman I who had leprosy.  Cambodians generally call the statue Dharmaraja because this was the name engraved on the original idol. The original idol is in the courtyard of the National Museum in Phnom Penh.  

Replica  Statue of  the Leper King

There is also Baphuon, a three-tired temple mountain built as Udayadityavarman II’s state temple and dedicated to Lord Shiva.  

The buildings are sturdy in spite of their age. They were mainly constructed with laterite and sandstone. There were still many structures like the Royal Palace, the Phimeanakas etc.which remained unseen. We climbed down through a large flight of steps into the open, crossed the road to reach to our mini bus. There was a crowd of Cambodian women selling shawls and other local products near the parking lot and you need considerable bargaining expertise to buy things from  them.  

Photographs : Bulbul Sur

Tags: Angkor Thom, Jayavarman VII, Leper King, Siem Reap River, Face Towers