Yashodharapura - ARea of Angkor
Angkor Wat and Bakheng Hill are both situated to the south of the large area of Angkor Thom. All three sites together - the centre of Angkor Thom in the north, Bakheng in the centre, and Angkor Wat in the south - once marked the boundaries of the ancient city of Yashodharapura, which was the original Angkor.
Arriving from the town of Siem Reap, the main gate of Angkor Wat is usually the first edifice today's visitor comes to see, at least when traveling clock-wise along one of the two circuit roads crossing the archeological zone of Angkor that are known as Small Tour and Grand Tour. Small Tour and Grand Tour actually share the same road between Siem Reap and the main car park in the centre of Angkor Thom and this shared part of the two circuit roads runs along both Angkor Wat and Bakheng hill.
Arriving from the town of Siem Reap, the main gate of Angkor Wat is usually the first edifice today's visitor comes to see, at least when traveling clock-wise along one of the two circuit roads crossing the archeological zone of Angkor that are known as Small Tour and Grand Tour. Small Tour and Grand Tour actually share the same road between Siem Reap and the main car park in the centre of Angkor Thom and this shared part of the two circuit roads runs along both Angkor Wat and Bakheng hill.
In a description of Angkor for touristic purposes, it makes sense to devide the entire archaeological zone into four sections: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, temples along the Small Tour, and temples along the Grand tour. However, the temples of the Bakheng group in between Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom would be missing in that list. The Bakheng is located closer to Angkor Thom than to Angkor Wat. More precisely, the eastern foot of the Bakheng Hill is 1,200 m north of the western access causeway to Angkor Wat and only 350 m south of the South Gate of Angkor Thom. However, we prefer to include Phnom Bakheng in our Angkor Wat section, as Angkor Thom is a quite distinct area, the borders of which are very clearly marked.
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Not only as a geographically subdivided outline of an Angkor compendium for travelers, but also for historical reasons it makes sense to include both Angkor Wat and Bakheng in the same section (or on the same webpage). Admittedly, the two places of interest are from very different periods. Bakheng was the first state temple in Angkor at all, marking the very beginnings of Angkor as a Khmer capital, whereas Angkor Wat was the very last Hindu state temple, built more than 200 years later than the Bakheng temple and marking the very heydays of the Khmer culture and the Angkor Empire. However, there is an affilliation between both sites. The Bakheng Hill was surrounded by a fortified city that measured 4 km in length and width. This was the centerpiece of the ancient Angkor which was then known as Yashodharapura. It was only with the construction of Angkor Thom, half a century after Angkor Wat, that Yashodharapura's first layout centred on the Bakheng hill was cut into pieces by a new moat crossing the former town and that furthermore the centre of the fortified part of the capital was shifted away from the Bakheng Hill, viz. to the area near the Royal Palace 2 km further north. But prior to the construction of Angkor Thom, the square groundplan of Yashodharapura had remained unchanged. In particular, the Angkor Wat respected the original groundplan of Yashodharapura, as it was constructed exactly in the southeastern corner of the old capital. This is to say, the much younger Angkor Wat still followed the geographical pattern that was set by choosing the Bakheng as the centerpiece of the Khmer capital. So, let's have Angkor Wat and Bakheng on the same page.
Angkor Wat - the world'S Largest Ancient temple building
Angkor Wat is the southernmost temple in the Angkor archaeological zone. You will arrive at its moat first and also see it a second time when returning to Siem Reap.
The five towers of the uppermost platform of Angkor Wat are the national emblem of Cambodia. The central tower rises 65 m. All nine towers of the upper and second platform are believed to have been plated with gold. Measuring 332 m in length and 258 m in width, Angkor Wat is the world's largest single temple construction from ancient times. The entire compound surrounded by an exterior wall and a moat is 1025 m long and 800 m wide and seems to have been an entire city with wooden secular buildings.
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The founder of Angkor Wat was Suryavarman II (1113-1150), one of the mightiest Khmer rulers. Angkor Wat was constructed as his burial temple within only 30 years, which required not only a lot of manpower but also ingenious logistics. Local legend has it that Angkor Wat was built by a deity, Lord Indra. The coverage type was highly sophisticated to be able to withstand the monsoon rains. This was found out after modern restauration works resulted in damages to the wall within a few years, because a modern sealing technique turned out to be less appropriate in the local climate than the ancient way of drainage. Angkor Wat is built on sand literally, a modern building of this weight would not be permitted to be constructed on this ground. But sand is actually a stable underground, the true problem is the sidewards shifting movement of the sandcorns under pressure. This can be prevented by an enclosing wall in the underground. However, the solution in the case of Angkor Wat seems to have been a different one, the entire temple proper is like a boat swimming in a sea of sand. For this purpose, the density of water in the underground has to remain constant throughout the year, because periodical changes would result in corresponding movements of the soil. This is why the wide moat is an essential part of the statics of the entire building, as it keeps the water levels constant. One of the very few Khmer temples without a moat, the Baphuon, indeed collapsed after some centuries.
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Though it's not known from inscriptions as in the case of other temples, it's most likely that Angkor Wat's original name was Vrah Vishnuloka, which translates to "sacred Vishnu-abode" and refers to the deification of King Suryavarman II as a representation of Vishnu after his death. Being a mausoleum, the sanctuary of Angkor Wat is special, as previous state temples of Khmer rulers where dedivated to Shiva and not to Vishnu and they were designed for state rituals with the living king and did not serve as tombs in the first place. That Angkor Wat also served as a funeral temple is indicated by two uncommon characteristicts. Firstly, it's oriented westwards. This perhaps could also be explained by the fact that it's a Vishnu temple. But more significantly, to see the historical and epic and mythical scenes depicted in the outer gallery in the right order, the temple has to be circumambulated counter-clockwise, which in Hinduism is the common direction only for funery rites.
moat and causeway
The entire temple compound is enclosed by a moat which is avout 180 m wide and measures 5 km in perimeter, extending 1.5 km east-west and 1.3 km north-south. An earth bank gives access from the east, but the main access is via a sandstone causeway from the west. The latter was built a century after the temple in order to replace a wooden bridge or maybe three wooden bridges. The causeway was restored recently, however, the left side remained unrestored allowing an impression of the condition in which it was originally found.
Western Gopuram
The western gatehouse crowned by three towere echoes the form and dimensions of the temple proper. The central doorway has steps, whereas the southern and northern doorways are at ground level and high enough to be crossed by elephants. This is why the latter are called elephant gates. Galleries run between the towers. In a chapel under the southern tower is a eight-armed statue known as Ta Reach in Khmer. This Vishnu sculpture might originally have been placed in the central sanctuary of the temple. It is venerated by Buddhist locals and foreign Hindu pilgrims alike.
Apsaras
The exerior walls of the Western Gopuram are decorated with numerous females semi-goddesses called Apsaras, many of which have been restored perfectly well. One of them is famous as the only only one in Angkor Wat to be showing her teeth. However, this is disputable, because an Apasara in the second enclosure also shows teeth, but this latter illustration of teeth might be the result of a later redesign. Altogether, almost 1800 Apsaras can be found within the complex of Angkor Wat. Included in this high number are not only the near lifesize female sculptures, which are usually called Apsaras, but also smaller female figures in dancing positions found within ornamental wall decorations. In a norrow sense, only the dancing figures are Apsaras, whereas the standing females are Devatas, both being semi-goddesses. The dancing Apsaras of the left picture below can be seen in the southern elephant gate.
mirror ponds
The main axis between the West Gopuram and the temple proper is a 350 m paved causeway. The balustrades are in the form of serpents, Nagas of immensely large size. Six stairways leading down to the ground level on either side. Flanking the causeway are two large library buildings. The so-called mirror-ponds in between the libraries and the temple proper are later additions. They deserve their name, as they are the perfect places to see the towers of Angkor Wat mirrored on the surface of the water. The northern pond attracts almost every visitor, several stalls can be found just north of it. But it's highly recommendable to visit the southern pond as well. However, the latter is more frequently dried out than the northern one. The best times to take a picture of Angkor Wat at one of the mirror-ponds are sunrise and the late afternoon. But then the shore of the northern pond understandably is very crowded.
temple proper
For those visiting Angkor Wat in the morning, the southeastern corner temple terrace has the best view to the temple proper. As the temple is oriented to the west, the features are all set back towards the east, this is why the viwe from the east is less impressive. Almost all the visible parts of the temple proper are clad with sandstone blocks, some of which are of enormous size, with a weight of up to 1.5 tons. The estimated total number of sandstone blocks used for the construction of Angkor Was is almost 10 million. However, the less costly and highly stable laterite was used for the structural parts which are hidden under the sandstone. The sandstone towers were stuccoed and gilded originally. Some parts of the bas reliefs and wooden ceiling were gilded as well.
galleries
The entire exterior galleries edging the temple proper are open to the outside. Their inner walls are decorated with eight bas-relief panels. Five of them are original, whereas the two in the northern gallery and one more in the northern half of the eastern gallery are additions from the 16th century. The original panels are up to 94 m long. These are the longest continuos single stone carvings in the world. The Borobudur on Java altogether has an even longer flights of galleries decorated with carvings, but not any single one of the panels of the Borobudur is of similar dimensions, rather each segment has its own framed panel. Likewise, earlier Angkorian temple have large series of distinct carvings along the walls. The continuous scenes at the Angkor Wat are without prototype but inpired later narrative panels of similar length at Bayon period temples.
Ramayana panel
The best way to explore Angkor Wat and its masterpieces of art is to start at the northwestern corner pavilion, which happens to be the one closest to the northern mirror pond. This corner pavilion also carries numerous carvings, most of them depicting famous scenes from the Ramayana epic, for example Hanuman identifying himself by presenting the ring of Lord Rama to Sita as well as Sita's fire ordeal, the central part of the latter one is heavily damaged. The ring episode took place prior and the fire ordeal after the Battle of Lanka, which forms the main part of the Indian national epic. The Battle of Lanka is depicted in the northern half of the western gallery of Angkor Wat. Most of the figures have heads of demons or monkeys, as the former fought for their King Rama of Lanka, who has abducted Rama's wife Sita, whereas the army of monkeys arrived from India to Sri Lanka in support of Rama to liberate Sita.
Mahabharata panel
The second Indian National Epic is even longer. It culminates in a war of succession, which is fought out between the five Pandava brothers and their cousins, the hundred Kauravas, and their respective allies. Some but not all of the heroes and scenes of the Battle of Kurukshetra can be identifies. Bhima is seen dying on a bed of arrows, for example. Krishna as the charioteer of Arjuna can be seen near the centre of the panel. Both battle scenes are enormously rich in details. And what's even more surprising: Despite the monumental scale, the bas-reliefs are of extraordinary artistic quality and with an extremely shallow overall depth, unrivaled in Khmer sculptural art.
southwestern corner pavilion
Of all corner pavilions, the southwestern one houses the most excellent carvings. Surprisingly, they depict scenes from both Shivaite and Vishnuite mythology, the letter represented by several Avatars, particularly as Rama and Krishnas. The most famous of the carvings within the southwest pavilion are the ten-headed Rtwenty-armed Ravana shaking Mount Kailasha and Shiva killing Kama and Rama killing the monkey king Valin with an arrow.
army of King Suryavarman II
Next to the southwestern corner pavilion, the western wing of the southern gallery has longest of all panels. It shows the army of King Suryavarman I first parading in a ctiy and then marching to a battle field. The upper register of the first part shows the royal audience. The sequence of marching soldiers is structured by elephants carrying the generals in the upper register. The number of parasols marks the rank of the general or dignitary. The King is depicted two times, fist in the upper register, as the largest person in the audience, secondly, as the army commander with the largest amount of parasols. The king with 15 parasols is positioned in the centre of the panel. Remarkably, the parading soldiers show characteristic faces and armour of different ethnic groups.
Judgement of Yama
The next panel measures 66m in length. It has starts with two registers advancing Yama, the judge and lord of the dead, identifiably by 18 arms and his mount, the buffalo. Behind him, a third register at the bottom represents hell. It's the latter that attracts most attention due to the sadistically cruel types of punishments that are depicted. The hell is divided into 32 segments, one for each kind of sin. Men are menaced by Yama's hounds, savaged by wild animals, pulled at noserings by servants of hell, or crucified and tortured at the same time. In contrast, the 37 heavens seem to be quite boring.
Churning of the Sea of Milk
The best preserved and arguably most admired panel is the next one around the corner, in the southern half of the eastern gallery. It's the consistency and harmony of the design that makes this one so impressive. It's a depiction of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, which is one of the favourite themes in Khmer art. 92 Asura demons and 88 gods can be seen carrying the cosmic serpent Vasuki to churn the Milk Ocean in order to win the treasures, some of which are the Apsaras that can be seen in the upper register. The Asuras and their counterparts had decided to suspend their eternal fight, because only with joint forces they were able to obtian the cosmic treasures, the most important of which is Amrita, the drink granting immortality.
third enclosure
Just behind the panel depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk is the eastern Gopuram leading into the so-called third enclosure of Angkor Wat, the lower one of two courtyards surrounding the central platform of the five towers. It makes sense to return to the west of the temple proper within the third enclosure, just to gain an impression of the dimensions of the monument and to see one of the two libraries placed on highly elevated platforms at the western ends of the court. But the central eastern stairway from the third up to the second enclosure should not remain unnoticed, as the carvings at the walls and pillars flanking it are unfinished. This might indicate that works at Angkor Wat were stopped at one point in time, presumably when the king died.
Preah Poan
Returning to the western end of the temple proper, there is a cruciform cloister connecting the exterior gallery to the second enclosure. The cloister with four courtyards one filled with water is called Preah Poan, which translates to "Hall of a thousand Gods". Instead of gods, it's now Buddha images that can be seen in this cloister, most of them at the southern wall. They are still venerated by Buddhist pilgrims from all over Cambodia and are a reminder, that Angkor Wat has become a Buddhist monastery after the introduction of the Theravada form of Buddhism in Cambodia. By the way, this is the reason why at no point in time Angkor Wat was a lost temple in the jungle. It was never abandoned. After the fall of Angkor, there have always been monks living within the temple precincts and Angkor Wat remained to be a pilgrimage site attracting visitors even from foreign countries throughout the centuries. This is why the cloister has many inscriptions left by devotees, some of them written in Burmese and Japanese.
second enclosure
The second enclosure, measuring 115 m in length and 100 m in width is the courtyard with the most elaborate Apsara sculptures and pediment carvings of Angkor Wat. The entire terrace might have been flooded, at least at festival days, to represent the ring ocean surrounding Mount Meru, the latter being represented by the steep and tall central platform know as Bakan, which carries the five iconoc towers. Three extremely steep stairways on each side lead up to the towers and Gopuras to the courts of the Bakan, which are counted first enclosure of Angkor Wat. The high gradient of the stairways indicates the elevatedness of the divine sphere of Mount Meru. Today's visitors have an easier access to the topmost terace, a wooden staircase is constructed at the northeastern corner to prevent the original sandstone blocks from being rubbed down by millions of shoes every year. At the northwestern corner, some sandstone blocks are missing. This is one of the few spots, where the laterite core of the monument can be seen.
Devatas
As said, the second enclosure, the one enclosing the Bakan, is somewhat an art gallery of its own, with a large number of carvings depicting Apsaras, often arranged in pairs. At Angkor Wat, each Apsara distinctively rendered. Each sculpture's coiffures and crowns and jewelry and shirts are unique. Apasaras can be seen arranged in groups for the first time in Khmer art. Groups of numerous Apsaras can be seen in the corners of the second enclosure. In Indian mythology, Apsaras are supernatural female beings of extraordinary beauty and masters of the art of singing and dancing for the pleasure of the gods. Strictly speaking only those females depicted as dancing or flying are Apsaras. Standing figures carrying flowers are called Devatas, semi-goddesses. But the term Apsara has become so popular that we will not start an attempt to corrects the terms here.
pediment carvings
Not surprisingly, most of the pediment carvings in the courtyard of the second enclosure represent scenes from Vishnuite mythologie, particularly several scenes from the Ramayana epic such as the death of Valin, Rama's brother Lakshmana wounded by Ravana's spear and Ravana's brother Kumbkakarna attacked by the monkey army in the Battle of Lanka. One of the themes the decoding of which is not entirely conclusive is found near the northeastern courtyard. A god sits on a throne, below him are three rows of figures with demon faces. Two highly dynamic figures entering the scene from the corners have the faces of gods. The mst striking feature are the seven urns or offering vessels or little stupas that are carried by the upper register of Asuras. One interpretation says that the seven vessels may represent the six elder brothers of Krishna killed as newborn babies by his uncle Kamsa and the lost son of Krishna's teacher Sandipani.
Bakan
The innermost and highest gallery of Angkor Wat, the Bakan, measures 60 m square. Axial galleries connecting the Gopuras in the cardinal points with the the central tower divede the upper platform into four courtyards. The roofings of the galleries show bodies of a snakes ending in the heads of eagles or lions. Carved Bas-reliefs along the walls resemble the repetitive design of carpets. They were indeed created by the use of stencils. They are carved in very low relief and are devided into medaillons of about 10 to 20 cm in diameter, surrounded by garlands and containing small figures in the centre. Such tapestry reliefs appear in the Angkor Wat period for the first time. From then on, they are quite common decorations at door jambs.
Tapestry reliefs
Many door jambs of Angkor Wat are decorated with very low reliefs showing medallions in a regular pattern of lines and rows. The repetitive medaillons contain floral ornaments in the first place but also single figures. This kind of bas reliefs was not known prior to the Angkor Wat period, but can be found at temples of the subsequent Bayon period as well. This kind of delicate carvings called tapestry reliefs were created by the use of stencils. The medaillons at the door jambs usually measure about 12 cm in diameter, whereas some walls are decorated with larger medallions of a purely ornamental design, measuring up to 30 cm in diameter. In contrast to other temples, Angkor Wat has tapestry reliefs of a narrative and not purely decorative type. The best examples of such bas reliefs in a geometrical pattern can be found in the galleries of the Bakan, which corresponds the temple's first enclosure.
hints for visiting Angkor Wat
For taking pictures, paticularly those at the temple ponds mirroring the temple towers on the water surface, the late afternoon is the best time to visit Angkor Wat. A very popular event is sunrise at Angkor Wat. For this, you have to arrive prioe 5.30 am. The very best time to avoid the crowds is between 7.00 and 8.00 am, because the sunrise tourists are leaving around 6.30 am to have breakfast and the first busloads only arrive after breakfast and therefore usually not before 8.00 am. It's also possible to enter the compound from the east. Though the view to the temple proper is less impressive from the east. It's worth considering to do so in the morning to have the sun in your back, illuminating the temple in front of you.
Ta Prohm Kel - the hospital chapel to the south of Angkor Thom
The small temple of Ta Prohm Kel, not to be confused with the large jungle temple Ta Prohm, is situated a few hundred meters north to the western main car park of Angkor Wat. The single-tower temple is one of the four so called hospital chapels. Jayavarman VII (1181- ca.1220) introduced the Mahayana version of Buddhism as the new official state religion. In the spritiual teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, compassion and social acticity play an equally or even more important role than the reclusive lifestyle of monks. This may have motivated the Mahayanist ruler Jayavarman VII to create an image of himself as being a benefactor of his people. One of his welfare projects know from stele inscriptions was the establishment of 102 hospitals throughout his empire. Four of them were constructed in some distance outside his new capital Angkor Thom, in all four cardinal directions, Ta Prohm Kel being the southern hospital. The hospital rooms were built of perishable materials and therefore have not survived. However, a simple Prasat built of stone marked the sacred aspect of the hospital. Like most Khmer temples, the sanctuary faces east. The northern false door of the Prasat has the best-preserved carvings of Ta Prohm Kel.
Bakheng - The First Angkor
Phnom Bakheng is both a hill and temple. Within the archaeological zone of Angkor, there is only one natural hill. Altogether three natural hills can be found in the plains of Angkor between the mountains of Phnom Kulen and the Great Lake, the Tonle Sap. All three of them are crowned by temples from the same period around 900 AD, which is called Bakheng style after the largest and most significant one of the three hills and temples. The 60 m hill of Phnom Bakheng carries an entire step pyramid, whereas the two sister temples, Phnom Krom to the south and Phnom Bok to the east of Angkor, have three towers on a shared platform and some library buildings in front of them.
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The large Bakheng temple-mountain atop the natural Bakheng hill is the first state temple ever built in Angkor. The founder Yashovarman I. was the king who shifted the capital from Roluos to Angkor, this area now becoming the Khmer capital for the first time. The new capital was called Yashodharapura, which remained to be the original and official name of Angkor for several centuries. The Lingam, being the central symbol of the state cult in a Shiva temple, was dedicated in 907. Bakheng indeed bears the nickmname "the first Angkor". The hill originally marked the very centre of the fortified city, which was a square measuring 4 kms. At the foot of the hill was an innter moat surrounding the sacred centre, it measured 650 east-west and 436 m north-south. Three stairways from the east and west and north gave access to the summit of the hill. The foot of the eastern stairway still has two large lion statues as guardian figures.
The summit of the hill was artificially levelled for creating a ceremonial square. A natural rock served as the base and core of the temple mountain, which is a five-tiered step pyramid. In parts, it is cut from the rock and then faced with sandstone. The Bakheng temple mountain measures 76 m in square at its bottom and has a height of 13 m. The central Prasat tower on the very top once sheltered the state Lingam. The walls of the central tower are richly decorated with ornaments and Devata sculptures, often called Apsaras.
The said central Prasat was surrounded by four more Prasats at the corners of the uppermost level, thereby forming a so-called quincunx. The newly introduced quincunx arrangement of towers reflects Mount Meru, which according to Hindu mythology has five peaks. In this respect, the Bakheng temple became the prototype of almost all later state temples including Angkor Wat. But only the foundations of the corner temples have survived.
Each lower tier has 12 smaller Prasats, corresponding to the twelve months of a year. Adding the number of Prasats on the summit plateau at the foot of the temple pyramid, the Bekahneg consists of 108 towers surrounding the central one. 108 is a sacred number in Indian religions, the arithmetics behinf it is 2 x 2 = 4 multiplied by 3 x 3 x 3 = 27. The numbers 4 and 27 symbolise the four lunar phases of a month and the number of days respectively.
In the 16th century, when several restaurations were carried out in the then former Khmer capital, the Bakheng seems to have undergone a redesign to be transformed into a Theravada Buddhist sanctuary. Stones of some towers were taken for building a colossal statue of a seated Buddha, which has not survived. To the east of the pyramid is a sacred footprint of the Buddha and a brick dagaba dating from much later periods, sacred footprints and hemispherical dagabas are typical of Theravada Buddhism.
Phnom Bakheng is touristically well-known as one of Angkor's "sunset point". Angkor Wat to the southeast can be seen illuminated by the late afternoon sun. To the west, the setting sun can often be seen mirroring in the large ancient reservoir known as West Baray.
Baksey Chamkrong - classical temple tower on a step pyramid
Baksey Chamkrong is a relatively small steep four-tiered pyramid with a single tower. At the basis, it measures 27 square meters, the height of the temple mountain 13 m, the total height including the Prasat tower on the top is 23 m. It's situated at the northeastern corner of the foot of the Bakheng hill. The location might indicate that it represents Mount Kailash, which is located to the northeast of Mount Meru according to Hindu mythology. Mount Kailash is the abode of Shiva. Due to inscriptional evidence, there is no doubt that Baksey Chamkrong was a Shiva temple originally, although it now houses a Buddha statue from the 16th century. By the way, this steep monument more like any other in Angkor resembles the form of Maya pyramids in Mesoamerica.
In Khmer architecture, Baksei Chamkrong is the first step pyramid made of laterite blocks. Laterite is a soft iron rich clay, which can easily be cut from the ground in blocks, but it hardens when exposed to the air and the sun. This is why it became the favourite building material of Angkor temples.
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The Prasat is built of bricks. It was once stuccoed, which is indicated by the holes in the walls. Devatas can be seen made of brick, they seem to have been much more elaborately designed in stucco originally. The Prasat also carries stone carvings, not all of which are in a perfect state of preservation. The lintel above the east door depicts Indra on his three-headed mount Airavata. Within the garlands, the elephant-headed god Ganesha can be discerned. Somewhat humoristacally, he takes his own trunk as a mount. The false doors are decorated with panels depicting foliage, too. ItLs typical of 10th century styles of Khmer panels to imitate wood carvings.
The modern name "Baksei Chamkrong" translates to "bird with sheltering wings". It refers to a legend of a Khmer king, who is narrated to have been forced to flee from Angkor, when the city came under attack. To protect him, a large bird swooped down and spread its wings, which prevented him from being caught by the invaders.
The temple is attributed to Harshavarman I (ca. 915-925), who was the son and successor of Angkor-founder Yashovarman I and a less powerful king. Baksei Chamkrong is supposed to be Harshavarman's ancestor temple for his parents. The consecration date given by the temple inscription is 948, when Rajendravarman II reigned in Angkor. I between both reigns, Angkor was not the capital, as for several decades the mighty King Jayavarman IV reigned in Koh Ker. Baksei Chamkrong might have remained uncompleted due to the neglect of Angkor under Jayavarman IV and later on finalized by Rajendravarman II, who made Angkor the capital again.
The morning is definitely the best time to visit Baksei Chamkrong.
Prei Prasat - three towers
Bei Prasat is only a few hundred meters to the northwest of Baksey Chamkrong and close to the southern moat of Angkor Thom. "Bei Prasat" simply means "three towers". Indeed three brick Prasats stand on a shared platform. Three towers in a row are a common pattern in Khmer architecture and often indicate the Trimurti, namely from north to south Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. The central tower of Bei Prasat is in a good state of preservation. The lintels of the central and the southern towers represent the Bakheng-style of the early 10th century. Again, Indra on his three-headed elephant Airavata. The lintel of the north tower remains unfinalized, but this is intersting, as it allows to study carving techniques.
Remnants os a small gate house enshrining a Lingam can be seen in front of Bei Prasat. A sandstone door is still standing upright. Even further west, close to the South Gate of Angkor Thom, is a small structure sometimes called Thma Bay Kaek, with a kneeling Nandi bull in front of it. Thie inconspicuous Prasat was the finding place of a treasure, a relic in a golden casket in the form of five leaves, one bearing an image of Nandi. A small structure just north was dedicated to Shiva's wife Uma, whose torso is still in situ.
As in the case of most Khmer temples, the best time to visit Bei Prasat and Thma Bay Kaek is the morning, at least for thosewho take photos.
Angkor Thom - city or temple?
As said, Bakheng Hill is near the iconic South Gate gate of Angkor Thom and the smaller temples of Baksey Chamkrong and Prei Prasat are even closer, the latter situated directly at the moat of Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom is fortified by a wall and a moat. It definitely served as a royal city, as the compound of the royal palace is close to the centre of the exactly square area. However, it can be argued, that Angkor Thom is also one single temple compound just like Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is enclosed by a wall and a moat, too. And the area in between this outer wall and the temple proper was inhabited not only by priests, but mainly by nobleman and commons and presumably had also a wooden royal palace just north of the temple. So the layouts and functions of King Suryavarman II's Angkor Wat and King Jayabarman VII's Angkor Wat have very much in common. Just as the temple proper of Angkor Wat covers only a part of the artificial island and forms its architectural centerpiece, the Bayon is the dominant structure and sacred center of Angkor Thom. The main difference is the proportion. The temple proper of Angkor Wat covers a much larger proportion of the temple island than the Bayon of Angkor Thom, as the Bayon is much smaller than the main building of Angkor Wat and the area of Angkor Thom covers nine square kilometers, whereas the island of Angkor Wat covers "only" 1.6 sqare kilometers. There are further differences of course. Angkor Wat is not placed in the center of its compound. And the fortification of Angkor Thom is much stronger, the walls are higher and thicker and closer to the moat than in the case of Angkor Wat. And the architectural designs of both sites are unique and distinctive. But the said similarities remain to be predominant and make it reasonable to claim: Actually, Angkor Wat as well as Angkor Thom were both temples and cities. This concept of a temple including a town within its precincts or - to put it just the other way around - a town centred on a temple and situated within its sacred premises is not unique to the two largest moated and walled compounds of Angkor. It can also be seen at Preah Khan in Angkor. And this kind of double function is well known from India, too. The most striking example of such a "temple city" in the every sense of the word is Sri Rangam near Tiruchirapalli in India's Tamil Nadu state, which has seven concentric enclosure walls, the exterior three areas being a secular city with living quarters and markets, whereas the sacred area has four concentric enclosures, just like Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.
To see more of Angkor Thom, which is the next place you will visit on both the Small and the Grand Tour just after having seen the west gate of Angkor Wat and the Bakheng group of temples, just continue reading be clicking here.
To see more of Angkor Thom, which is the next place you will visit on both the Small and the Grand Tour just after having seen the west gate of Angkor Wat and the Bakheng group of temples, just continue reading be clicking here.
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