Khmer History, Angkor Was and more

October 3, 2019

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Not much sleep as I was up up past midnight and up at 6am. La Trice was fast asleep just after 9pm. She was so tired. I didn’t sleep well but the driver would be there at 7…gotta get moving.

The grocery run had brought me a breakfast of yogurt, fruit, and granola…my favorite.

Just after 7am, we were ready for the driver ( same guy as from the airport ) and the guide who’s nickname is Han.

Our transport for the day was a tuk tuk and as even as it was 7am, it was very hot and humid, it would be a long day. The ride from the apartment was less than 30 minutes from town. We ventured into the jungle of Cambodia. It was a very civilized path and outside of it was devoid of jungle but not here…here it was jungle.

History -

Originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god VIshnu for the Khmer Empire, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century] It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura, present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum.

Breaking from the Shaiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat more than 3 miles long and an outer wall 2.2 miles long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls.

According to the 13th-century Chinese traveller Zhou Daguan, some believed that the temple was constructed in a single night by a divine architect.

Towards the end of the 12th century, Angkor Wat gradually transformed from a Hindu centre of worship to Buddhism, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was largely neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned. Fourteen inscriptions dated from the 17th century discovered in Angkor area testify to Japanese Buddhist pilgrims that had established small settlements alongside Khmer locals. At that time, the temple was thought by the Japanese visitors as the famed Jetavana garden of the Buddha, which originally located in the kingdom of Magadha, India.The best-known inscription tells of Ukondafu Kazufusa, who celebrated the Khmer New Year at Angkor Wat in 1632.

One of the first Western visitors to the temple was António da Madalena, a Portuguese friar who visited in 1586 and said that it "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of.”

In the mid 19th century a French explorer rediscovered and popularized the site through his publication of travel notes. He like other early Western visitors, found it difficult to believe that the Khmers could have built the temple and mistakenly dated it to around the same era as Rome. His reports inspired the French government, already an established presence in Indochina, to begin a systematic study of the ruins.

The true history of Angkor Wat was pieced together from stylistic and epigraphic evidence accumulated during subsequent clearing and restoration work. There were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement, including cooking utensils, weapons, or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites. Instead there is only the evidence of the monuments themselves. An exploration commission began drawing up a list of principal monuments. Subsequent missions copied inscriptions written on Angkor buildings so scholars might translate them and learn something of Angkor's history.

By 1885 they had worked up a chronology of the rulers and developed the outlines of a description of the civilization that had produced the temple complex. In 1898 the French decided to commit substantial funds to Angkor's preservation. Centuries of neglect had permitted the jungle to recapture many of the more significant structures, and unless efforts were made to free the buildings from the embrace of huge banyan and silk-cotton trees, they might soon be crushed to destruction.

The ancient bridge is in the middle of a refurbishment by the French. During, they’ve fashioned a floating bridge with plastic cubes with interlocking circles, very clever.

In the moat, one of two that surround the temple complex, there were many areas of water with lily pads and purple flowers. This approach was quite dramatic but not as dramatic as once though the outer gate.

There we were, Angkor Wat. Much had to happen to be here in this moment. I’d made it. Han took a few pictures of LaTrice and me in front of the main temple. He took us, also, to a spot near a pond with a good view but also reflection of the temple in the water.

The size and scale were very impressive. How could this be here and constructed like this…in the middle of a marshy jungle.

The detail of the carvings and the stories they told were amazingly detailed. From someone blowing on a fire to a kings army fighting an enemy…in such detail.

We climbed into one of the spires with views around of the temple below and out to the greater temple grounds. Again, the size was impressive.

The feeling was one of humbleness. Over a thousand years ago a civilization once lived here. Four hundred years it saw with only nature creeping across it’s grounds.

There was a spot where two Buddhist monks were seated at a sacred statue and offering blessings with holy water with lotus petals soaked in the water. Han video taped the experience. He spoke a Cambodian prayer for good health and safe travels. I tried to remain present and grateful for this opportunity. It was nice to share it with someone.

We could only take so much before we were so hot and sweaty that we needed a break. Sweat was dripping from everywhere..even places I didn’t think I could sweat from. We headed back to the tuk tuk and asked for a lunch breat. LaTrice’s only request was air conditioned cafe.

Ta Prohm was built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara. Located approximately 1/2 mile east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm is in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors. UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage List in 1992.

In 1186 A.D., Jayavarman VII embarked on a massive program of construction and public works. Rajavihara ("monastery of the king"), today known as Ta Prohm ("ancestor Brahma"), was one of the first temples founded pursuant to that program. The stele commemorating the foundation gives a date of 1186 A.D.

The temple's stele records that the site was home to more than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and 615 dancers), with an additional 80,000 souls in the surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies. The stele also notes that the temple amassed considerable riches, including gold, pearls and silks.[7] Expansions and additions to Ta Prohm continued as late as the rule of Srindravarman at the end of the 15th century.

After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 15th century, the temple of Ta Prohm was abandoned and neglected for centuries. When the effort to conserve and restore the temples of Angkor began in the early 21st century, the École française d'Extrême-Orient decided that Ta Prohm would be left largely as it had been found, as a "concession to the general taste for the picturesque." According to pioneering Angkor scholar Maurice Glaize, Ta Prohm was singled out because it was "one of the most imposing [temples] and the one which had best merged with the jungle, but not yet to the point of becoming a part of it". Nevertheless, much work has been done to stabilize the ruins, to permit access, and to maintain "this condition of apparent neglect.”

As of 2013, Archaeological Survey of India has restored most parts of the temple complex some of which have been constructed from scratch.[3] Wooden walkways, platforms and roped railings have been put in place around the site to protect the monument from further damages due to the large tourist inflow.

The trees growing out of the ruins are perhaps the most distinctive feature of Ta Prohm, and "have prompted more writers to descriptive excess than any other feature of Angkor.” Two species predominate, but sources disagree on their identification: the larger is either the silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) or thitpok Tetrameles nudiflora ] and the smaller is either the strangler fig (Ficus gibbosa). or gold apple (Diospyros decandra). Angkor scholar Maurice Glaize observed, "On every side, in fantastic over-scale, the trunks of the silk-cotton trees soar skywards under a shadowy green canopy, their long spreading skirts trailing the ground and their endless roots coiling more like reptiles than plants.

It’s known internationally as the Tomb Raider Temple as it was the main backdrop of the film of the same name.

Even though much smaller and less dramatic structurally, nature has given it a makeover and that integration makes it the most unique temple I’ve ever visited. Man and nature coming together or nature tearing apart what man has created…you must decide. It was captivated and connected with it immediately. It’s not Angkor Was but it’s very special in it’s own right.

We had one more temple to visit today. LaTrice and I were worn out, pools of sweat, and any more was honestly pushing it. I did push on while she had some ice cream at a nearby shaded area.

Angkor Thom

Several centuries before Leonardo DaVinci created the enigmatic smile of his Mona Lisa, hundreds of serene faces displaying equally enigmatic smiles were carved into the famous temple now known as Bayon. Bayon is in the heart of the ancient city of Angkor Thom, which was the symbolic center of the Khmer empire. Dedicated to Buddha by King Jayavarman VII, this state temple was originally called “Jayagiri” (which means “Victory Mountain”) but was renamed “Banyan Temple” sometime after the period of French occupancy. The Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment after a long period of meditation beneath a banyan tree. The religious significance of the banyan tree and the many banyan trees growing around the site made it an appropriate name. However, the local Khmer who worked on the restoration of the temple were responsible for its final name change. The workers mispronounced the name as “Bayon” instead of “Banyan” and the name stuck.

Most of the Angkor temples are constructed with features oriented in the four cardinal directions, but Bayon’s face towers seem to point every which way. While most of the towers do have four faces, some have only two or three, while the central tower has many more. The number of face towers is seemingly random, and there is some dispute about how many towers were included in the original design of the temple. Some believe there were 49, and others say it was 54. One theory holds that there was one tower for each of the 54 provinces in the Khmer empire at the time of the temple’s construction, symbolically keeping watch over all the inhabitants of the kingdom. However, the ravages of time have left only 37 of the towers standing today.

There are two richly decorated galleries which serve as enclosures to the temple – the outer gallery depicting scenes from battles and other historical events as well as images of everyday domestic life, and the inner gallery primarily illustrating mythological tales. The beautiful bas-relief carvings feature an astonishing level of detail, including more than 11,000 figures. The inner gallery, added by the Hindu King Jayavarman VIII, is elevated above ground level, and the upper terrace, which holds over 200 of the famous giant faces, is one level higher. A circular central tower rises 43m high.

Bayon was the last state temple built in the Angkor complex. The great Buddhist ruler, King Jayavarman VII, began its construction near the end of his life – sometime in the late 12th or early 13th century. Originally intended to be a Mahayana Buddhist temple, it was altered during the reign of King Jayavarman VIII when the empire briefly reverted back to Hinduism in the mid-13th century. The temple underwent further modifications under the Theravada Buddhist kings in later years.

The most distinctive feature of Bayon is the subject of some disagreement among historians. Some believe that the tranquil faces are meant to represent the Bodhisattva of compassion known as Lokesvara, and in fact, the host of tranquil visages is often referred to as the “200 faces of Lokesvara”. Others believe that the faces are portraits of King Jayavarman VII, and indeed, they do bear a striking similarity to other statues of the king. Both hypotheses may be true, as many Khmer rulers regarded themselves as “god-kings”.

Han shared the stories any mythology of the galleries. There were many stories to tell. The “spires” of 4 sided Buddha faces make this a most unique temple. The condition isn’t that of Angkor Was but it is not like any other here or anywhere.

We had made it through about 3/4 of the side and I felt like I was hitting a wall. The heat and humidity and my constant sweat all morning had taken it’s toll. I let Han know that when we were finished with this Corredor that I would like to make the walk back to the driver and we would return to Siem Reap. We met up with LaTrice and she was finishing an ice cream. She had and walking around the vendors serving quick treats. She was happy to see me as she also was ready to go.

It was at least a breeze for the 20 minute ride I tuk tuk to town. We had a driver let us off on the nearby street so that LaTrice could get some takeout. I took a bags and went back to the room so that I could get the air conditioning started. I had actually forgotten that the slot was filled so that the AC would be on but anyway. I had numerous snacks and decided to have those instead of going out to eat. I was beat and a sweaty mess. I had some fruit and cereal and enjoy the cool breeze of the air-conditioning while reviewing some photos.

LaTrice returned with her take out and let out a sigh, with exasperation over the days events. We both relaxed and did much of nothing as it was just too hot

There’s an art event next-door from 6 to 8 that the guys had invited us to. I was just to be to go but LaTrice decided to attend. The guys are taken to her and she took them. They had a small art gallery but with some amazing prince two of which LaTrice brought home. After her time with them she returned to take a rest. She wanted to lay down for about an hour and then head out to a drag show at a local bar. She was so tired that I thought this was doubtful that want to sleep that she would not be getting up again. Mine came and passed and she was sound asleep. I was not about to wake her up as she certainly needed the rest. She awake and at one point and mom a little bit and then went back to sleep.

I was up for several more hours retiring around midnight. It was obvious that she was up at about during the night as I awaken a few times and heard her moving about. It ended up that she had been awake since about 3 am. She had had about seven hours sleep at that point so why not be awake.