Standing amidst a moat measuring 1300 to 1500 m , covering roughly 5.5km, occupying 80 hectares of land area and 250 hectare compound , is the Great Angkor Wat temple , standing strong with glory since 1113 A.D , the year it was created , under the reign of Survarman II , a Khymer emperor who ruled from 1112-1152. Till today , this human worked out piece of architecture , art and engineering stands out to be a facinating resource for archaelogists and historians .
Angkor Wat meaning , a city of monastery , which came from sanskrit word Nagara , was built in the city of Angkor , located in modern day Cambodia , once a capital of the Khmer Empire . The city may have inhabited 1 million people and hundreds of temples , which itself places it t be one of the largest cities of the world until the "Industrial Revolution".
"It orignally served as a Hindu temple" , hich dedicated to honour of Vishnu (The Protector) but was later transformed to a buddhist temple in the 16th to 19th century with a few statues added to it .
"Analysis of the Directions of the Temple "
"A Religous Temple built facing the west "
Normally all religous temples arre built facing the east , while Angkor Wat was bulit facing the west . The reason for the same being that this monument served as a funeral temple .However , we can notice that , most f the monumental temples built in stone at the Angkor period that remained today , those always served as funeral temples either facing east or facing west.
(W-N) its bas-reliefs depicting a popular Hindu myth under the subject of
Ramayana in which Rama , was Vishnu's seventh incarnation , preserving hindu teachings from demon king Ravana .
(W-S) its relief depicting another Hindu epic under the subject of Mahabaratta.Krishna , being LOord Vishnu's eight incarnation .
(S-W) gallery of Angkor Wat has its bas-reliefs depicting the real history of
king Suryavarman II, his wives, his Brahmins, his astrologists, his courts, his
army, his attendants and his concubines so on.
(S-E) has its relief depicting the life in the 36 heavens and the life of 32
hells.
(E-S) The gallery bas-relief of Angkor Wat is depicting the very famous Hindu’s
mythology"the Churning of the sea milk " including appearing of Vishnu's second incarnation , "Kurma or turtle "
(E-N) This gallery which depicting the war scene of the Hindu epic."Victory of Vishnu over demons "
In
Khmer art, Lord Vishnu is mentioned as a young and good-looking man. He
was very strong, and he liked to teach his enemy with tough lessons , but
he was gentle with the innocence people because he promoted virtue
into the universe.
"A Magnificient Structure stabilized till today !!!"
It is surrounded by a 650 foot wide (200m) moat that encompasses a perimeter of more than 3 miles (5km). This moat is 13 feet deep (4m) and wold have helped stabilize the temple's foundation , preventing groundwater from rising too high or falling too low .
"Architectural and Mythological Analysis "
Gateway , Entrances , Doorways and Towers:
Its main entrance was to the west , as being associated with Vishnu , believed to be God of the west , across a stone causeway 250m long , built to cross the moat and reach the entrance , with guardian lions marking the way, as according to the Hindu myths, Brahma God of Creator took lion as his palace's doorway guardian
The lion statue of Angkor Wat made with a single piece of sandstone, its
tail believed to have as metal material. It had been already destroyed
by Siamese in the 14th to 15th century, but took to restore by the
French in 1920 to1970.
Behind the lion statues, they put the naga statues to serve as the
balustrade always along the causeway on the both sides. The naga is a
mythical snake and according to the Hindu myth, the naga was a god of
the underworld.
The seven headed naga is symbolic of the seven days of week, and seven colors of rainbow.
To the east of the temple is a second modest entrance .
Surrounding the wall of Angkor Wat, are these four entrances, but
the three located on the north (Ta Leuk), on the east (Ta Ku) and on the
south (Ta Pich) designed smaller and simpler with only one door way.
While
the western entrance (Ta Reach) built so elaborate with 200m long and
designed with five doorways.
Social Importance of the doorways : These five doorways at the main entrance
of Angkor Wat, were as , one in the middle for the king, royalty
and his Brahmins using, while two other were people and king entourages usinng it and
the two more entrances located at the end of the gateway structure were
used for transportation due to these gates have no stair, and they are
just flat.
The causeway is symbolic of Rainbow Bridge,for making a connection
from one world to another. While the moat surrounding the temple is
symbolic of the ocean, and enclosing laterite wall is symbolic of
mountains range at the edge of the universe, which represented to
protect Mt. Meru. It was a mythical mountain to serve as a home for the
Hindu Gods, and locatedin the center of the universe. Thus, Angkor Wat
and all the Khmer temples in the Angkor period symbolized of Mt Meru abode of Hindu Gods , beyond the Himalayas.
The heart of the temple was the central tower , entered by way of a
steep staircase , a statue of Vishnu at the top . This tower was once
the symbolic center of the nation and the actual center where secular
and sacred power joined forces , writes researcher Eleanor Mannika in
the book " Angkor : Celestial temples of the Khmer empire "
"From parallel space , Vishnu and the King ruled the Khmer people"
Hidden paintings ,recently discovered , reveal of the central power .
those towers were destroyed as a part to
attempt of reduce the Khmer power by enemy during they occupied
Cambodia between 1352 to 1432.
Among of those intricate carving in this
section, the Apsaras are the most highlight and interesting motifs,
they carved it all over temple complex there are approximately 1800, The
artisan carved in to many different designed like headdresses belts and
others
The
causeway is leading to the main temple sanctuary is known as the second
causeway for Angkor Wat temple, it is measuring of 350m long from the
entrance to the main temple building
you
can view only three towers appearing from the main temple sanctuary,
while they designed in total with five towers. The reason for that,
since two more towers are at the back row hidden behind with the two at
the front row. The three towers that we are viewing the one in the
middle is not appearing inrow, it’s actually stands at the back further
about at least 30m from the two on the side.
Khmer temple has so fancy decorated detail carving every where from the
bottom to the top of its structure. Because for the gods, they must live
so fancy and sophisticated decoration
Libraries:
Two buildings located along the causeway between entrance and main
structure, were libraries. It must appear in pair. Because when the
people came to worship, they had to pray and learn the theory of the
temple before they inter to the shrines. The function of two libraries
is one the right for using during the full moon time, while another one
on the left for using during the new moon time.
The Three levels :
Angkor
Wat temple designed with three levels with its 65m height.
The first
level of Angkor Wat known as the gallery of teaching or the gallery of
the bas-reliefs. This level has its structure measure of 180m by 250m.
Also represented to the underworld of the universe
The
second level known as the gallery of meditation. In addition, represent
to the world.
While the third level is represent to paradises and to
serve as a place for the king and royalty and high priests came to
worship to god Vishnu. Public was not allowed to this level . The
public had their own spot for their religious activities at the second
level.
"History Of Angkor Wat :
History
of the king who completed the E-N gallery , King Ang Chan cosidered himself as great king of Cambodian in the middle era for Cambodia
history
He saw Angkor Wat temple by an
accident when he came to hunt wild elephants for training them into the
domestic one. He was a king who so skillful with elephant hunter. Since
he saw the temples in Angkor, he decided to stay at Angkor for a while
in order to help for restoration the temple structures.
During
his stay in Angkor, the king took some restoration works at Angkor Wat
temple, he cleared the forest away from the temple structures,e
installed many Buddha statues at the ancient Hindu temples, especially
he installed hundreds of Buddha statues in Angkor Wat where has known
today as "Thousands Buddha Hall"
The
gallery of ( N-E ) has its relief which still depicting the Hindu myth.
Despite, this relief carved under the reign of King Ang Chan in the 16th
century.The relief of this panel is the same styleas the relief in the
panel of E-N as well. Because done by King Ang Chan while King
Suryavarman II did not complete the relief in gallery
The
subject of this myth is "Victory of Lord Vishnu over Demon King Bana".
The story starts from the east corner of the panel,he beginning (eastern
corner side) you see a garuda is putting off the fire, because he had
got this order from his boss Lord Vishnu.
Then
you see Agni God of Fire riding on a rhino that is manifesting to
create fire in order to stop Lord Vishnu and his army from being chased
Bana king of demon and his men. Agni was doing this action because Lord
Shiva ordered him to do. Since Lord Shiva promised to protect Bana and
his men from Lord Vishnu.
Finally, Garuda was
able to convince Agni. That is why we see Lord Vishnu riding on Garuda
who appearing with many arms in an action of chasing Bana and his men.
At
the middle part of the panel, we see Bana king of demon is confronting
with Lord Vishnu. Bana who is appearing on a chariot which pulling by
tigers
The end (to the west
corner ) of the scene, we see Lord Shiva who has a long beard and who is
sitting in his palace in Kalasa with his two sons Kanesa and Skanda and
also Agni who carrying an axe in his hand. The war end and Lord Vishnu
moved to relax "Cosmic Sleep" on a Naga in the ocean of milk with his
consort Laksmei doing massage at his legs for him
here
are colored on the relief of this panel as well. This color was
painting mostly by the Buddhist monks who living in Angkor Wat as their
monastery. Since the capital city of Angkor abandoned to Phnom Penh
after the Thais sacked
So
called "One Thousand Buddha Hall" is a building located between the
first level gallery to the second level gallery building. The One
Thousand Buddha
Hall is also located in the
middle point of whole Angkor Wat compound . Buddha statues are in this
hall, had installed in the 15th to the 19th century.An addition, the
word "Wat" was coming behind the word "Angkor" since the time that
Angkor Wat became the Buddhist temple, because "Wat" is meaning the
Buddhist monastery. In Khmer Rouge Regime, about 60% of the Buddha
statues had been removed away, and the rest about 40% in 1985 government
moved to preserve in the national Museum in Phnom Penh. Otherwise,
there were full of five rows of Buddha statues in these halls. That is
why the reason people called this place of Angkor Wat as "One Thousand
Buddha Hall".
It also has four pools. One of
these pools located in each side between the cruciform gallery
buildings. When you are standing in the middle point of the cruciform
galleries, you will be so surprised to see its perfect lines running up
to four direction of the temple. In addition, this point considered as
the center point of the universe as well.
The
third level structure of Angkor Wat was represented of Heavens, and
where at that time was served as a place for only king, royalty and high
Brahmins use for their ritual ceremony. Not for the common people,
The
twelve stairways at the third level of Angkor Wat are represented the
twelve year of the animal zodiac.To reach up there, you will have the
four pools as the same as the Hall of the Thousand Buddha as well. These
pools are located surrounding the central tower, and had used as the
sane purpose as the pools at the down stair too. At the central tower
used to install a golden statue of Vishnu in an action of riding on
Garuda's shoulders.
Also at the doors of the central tower had closed by Buddhist monks at between the15th to 16th centuries
Construction
techniques
Building
Angkor Wat was an enormous undertaking that involved quarrying, careful
artistic work and lots of digging.
To create the moat around the temple, 1.5
million cubic meters (53 million cubic feet) of sand and silt were moved, a
task that would have required thousands of people working at one time. The
buildings at Angkor Wat posed their own challenges. To support them a tough
material called laterite was used, which in turn was encased with softer
sandstone that was used for carving the reliefs.
These sandstone blocks were
quarried at the Kulen Hills, about 18 miles (30 km) to the north. Recent
research proves that they were transported to the site by a series of
canals. Beneath the central tower was a shaft that leads to a chamber where, in
1934, archaeologists found “two pieces of crystal and two gold leaves far
beneath where the Vishnu statue must have been,” Coe writes, adding that
deposits like these “spiritually ‘energized’ a temple, much as a battery will
provide power to a portable electronic device.”
Purpose
Although
Angkor Wat is dedicated to Vishnu, the full purpose of the temple is still
debated. One question is whether the ashes of Suryavarman II were interred in
the monument, perhaps in the same chamber where the deposits were found. If
that were the case it would give the temple a funerary meaning.
" The study this piece of architectural brilliance left me awstruck seeing its blend with history , mythology , beauty , art and science as well....Exploring this man carved piece of art in real is a delight for any architectural enthusiast like me .... Hope you learned something new about our past too "
(Sources : My teacher , Archana Verma ma'am and her lessons , Google images , Wikipedia and UNESCO site http://www.kimsoryar.com/DetailleftRight/Details.aspx?id=1)
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