Day 15 Thursday May 1
Angkor Thom South Gate, Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas[earliest temple inside palace], Royal Palace, Ponds, Terrace of Elephants, Terrace of Leper King
Angkor Thom
After the Cham people of modern-day Vietnam sacked Angkor in 1177, King Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181–c. 1220) decided that the Hindu gods had failed him. When he built a new capital nearby, Angkor Thom, he dedicated it to Buddhism
Breakfast
Breakfast was included in our apt booking. It was at a sister concern 500m away. We did not want to face the feral street dogs and have a sweaty walk up and down. We called our tuktuk to pick us up at 6:55am and drop us at the breakfast hotel. After the breakfast we started off on our visit to Angkor Thom
Pool...
breakfast room
we could order from the choices.
this was not too filling, so the next days we ordered the veg fried rice which was better.
Note the Face Towers
fruit platter
Angkor Thom South Gate
The Southern Gate of Angkor Thom, or Tonle Om Gate, is one of the five ancient gates dated to the 12th century providing access through the 8m high laterite walls of Angkor Thom.
The South Gate features the best-restored causeway
tri-headed elephants flank either side of the 3.5 m wide and 7 m high doorway, pulling up lotus from the waters below with their trunks. 
the grand causeway that crosses the 100 m wide moat which is flanked on either side by a naga balustrade beginning with a massive stone carving of a seven-headed Naga (mythical serpent) being held by a multi-armed and multi-headed giant. On each side, there are 54 stone giants pulling on the body of the Naga serpent.
On one side, the giants represent Devas featuring slender oval eyes and a casual smile, on the other side, depicting Asuras with round bulging eyes and grimacing faces, together representing an endless tug of war between good and evil
tri-headed elephants flank either side of the 3.5 m wide and 7 m high doorway, pulling up lotus from the waters below with their trunks. 
the grand causeway that crosses the 100 m wide moat which is flanked on either side by a naga balustrade beginning with a massive stone carving of a seven-headed Naga (mythical serpent) being held by a multi-armed and multi-headed giant. On each side, there are 54 stone giants pulling on the body of the Naga serpent.
On one side, the giants represent Devas featuring slender oval eyes and a casual smile, on the other side, depicting Asuras with round bulging eyes and grimacing faces, together representing an endless tug of war between good and evil
Bayon Temple
Bayon / Prasat Bayoăn is a richly decorated Khmer temple related to Buddhism at Angkor.
Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the King Jayavarman VII , the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom
The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces of Brahma [or Avalokitesvara]- probably modeled on the face of King Jayavarman VII - on every side the many towers that jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.
the temple is "the most striking expression of the baroque style" of Khmer architecture, as contrasted with the classical style of Angkor Wat
The original name for the Bayon is Jayagiri (or "Victory Mountain" or “Mountain of Brahma” ; “Jaya” - another name of Brahma and “giri” to mountain), with Sanskrit roots similar to Sīnhāgiri ("Lion Rock").
The name of Bayon was given by Etienne Aymonier in 1880. Bayon was the Latin transliteration of what he had seen written in Khmer as "Bayânt" which he presumed must have been a corrupted form of the Pali Vejayant or Sanskrit Vaijayant, the name of the celestial palace of Indra of which the Bayon was presumed to be the earthly reflection
Originally a Hindu temple, the Bayon (Jayagiri) was the centrepiece of Jayavarman VII's massive program of monumental construction and public works, which was also responsible for the walls and nāga-bridges of Angkor Thom and the temples of Vishnu, Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei
FACE TOWERS
The similarity of the 216 gigantic faces on the temple's towers to other statues of the has led many scholars to the conclusion that the faces are representations of Jayavarman VII, himself.
Scholars have theorized that the faces belong to Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. But some locals believe the temple was built for Brahma, since the faces have four sides, representing Brahma's four faces. Also, the faces have three eyes, which symbolizes Shiva in the Trimurti.
Buddha's images seldom wear jewelry like necklaces, large earrings and a crown.
Jayavarman VII stood squarely in the tradition of the Khmer monarchs in thinking of himself as a devaraja (god-king), the difference being that while his predecessors were Hindus and associated themselves with Brahma and his symbol the, chaturmukha (four faces), Jayavarman VII was a Buddhist.
At one point, the temple was host to 49 such towers; now only 37 remain. The number of faces is approximately 200, but since some are only partially preserved there can be no definitive count
Face Tower
Note the ceiling
Shiva Lingam
Marching Khmer army... military procession
Mortarless constructions...large blocks assembled without mortar. Holes probably made to move/drag them
Ascetics
Ascetics
soldiers attacking with bown arrow on the left, defending with shields on the right
Military procession
Ascetics
During the reign of Jayavarman VIII in the mid-13th century, the Khmer empire reverted to Hinduism and its state temple was altered accordingly. In later centuries, Theravada Buddhism became the dominant religion, leading to still further changes, before the temple was eventually abandoned to the jungle
MONKEYS
Earlier in one of the chambers there were screams from a group and we saw a small baby monkey in the middle. They did not even part and give way for the monkey and the poor monkey was jumping around trying to get out!!
No wonder many monkey bites are reported.
There was even a guy holding 2 monkeys in his arms!
Tug of war, using elephants at the ends of both sides[straight middle panel]...right wall
3.6 m tall NagaBuddha is seated in meditation, shielded from the elements by the flared hood of the serpent king Mucalinda
MONKEY APPROACHING US!!
When we were alone in this chamber, a monkey had entered and approached us. We shooed it off.
The authorities have introduced wild monkeys in this habitat, there are sign boards not to interact or feed them but everybody is flouting the rules including the guides!!
Monkey is there in the dark chamber behind son in the pic below!
MONKEYS AGAIN WITH VISITORS
Wat Preah Ngok
It is a “Buddhist terrace” featuring seated lions and naga balustrades with a giant seated Buddha. It is located just north of Bayon.
one of many post-Angkor period terraces created using recycled masonry from prior ancient sites.
It is a simple but large terrace, formed by a platform of laterite blocks recorded as 90 meters by 24 meters that rises around .5 m topped with an inner platform that reduces in size to 50 meters by 10 meters with a large monumental Buddha placed at its western end covered by a shelter that was renewed in recent times
We had left our food bag in our tuktuk as we were aware of the monkey menace in these parts. We collected our bag here and had our lunch sandwiches in the upper terrace of the Baphuon temple.
Sat on a small ledge which had a bit of shade provided by a wall to have our food!
Baphuon Temple
located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon. Built in the mid-11th century, it is a three-tiered temple mountain built as the state temple of Udayadityavarman II dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. In the late 15th century, the Baphuon was converted to a Buddhist temple.
The temple adjoins the southern enclosure of the royal palace and measures 120metres east-west by 100 metres north-south at its base and stands 34 metres tall without its tower, which would have made it roughly 50 metres tall.
Phimeanakas, Royal Palace, Ponds
Phimeanakas ( Prasat Phimean Akas, 'celestial temple') or Vimeanakas (Prasat Vimean Akas) at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu temple in the Khleang style, built at the end of the 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman (from 941 to 968), then completed by Suryavarman I
It is in the shape of a three tier pyramid . On top of the pyramid there was a tower, while on the edge of top platform there are galleries.
Phimeanakas is located inside the walled enclosure of the Royal Palace of Angkor Thom north of Baphuon aligned with King Jayavarman VII’s Victory Gate and to the west side of the Terrace of Elephants.
Legend says there was a golden tower on top of the pyramid where a serpent-spirit with nine heads, called Nāga, used to live . Each night the serpent would turn into a woman.
The king ascended the stairs of the temple every night to be with the Nāga princess for the first quarter, going back to his Queens in the later quarter (One wonders how he had any energy left after the climb!!). If Nāga did not appear, it meant that the days of the king were numbered.
We felt we could have skipped this
Next was the terrace of elephants. It is located in the Royal Square in the ancient city of Angkor Thom about 400m north of Bayon Temple.
TERRACE OF ELEPHANTS
It is a 2.5m tall and 300m long platform which was used by King Jayavarman VII to view his victorious returning armies. Built end of the 12th-century
Most of the original structure has disappeared as it was built with perishable materials such as wood. What can be seen today is the ornate foundations which contain many carvings of elephants, hence the name “Terrace of the Elephants”
YAY, Found the elephants!! all unique and very well carved.
TERRACE OF LEPER KING
He was the first king devoted to Buddhism, as only one prior Khmer king had been a Buddhist.
He built the Bayon as a monument to Buddhism and the city of Angkor Thom [the new capital], including the Terrace of the Leper King
[Jayavarman died around 1218. He was succeeded by Indravarman II, who died by 1243. Indravarman was succeeded by Jayavarman VIII, a Shivaite. He embarked on the destruction or defacement of Jayavarman VII's Buddhist works. The niches all along the top of the wall around the city contained images of the Buddha, and most of these were removed. This included the great statue of Buddha at Bayon, and the Buddha images in Angkor Thom, which were converted into linga]
the name "Leper King" refers to a statue found on that terrace, not the king himself. That statue is now in the Phnom Penh National Museum, is called the Leper King due to its appearance and a Cambodian legend, and it is believed to depict the Hindu god Yama, the god of death.
His government built many projects including hospitals, highways, rest houses, and temples. With Buddhism as his motivation, King Jayavarman VII is credited with introducing a welfare state that served the physical and spiritual needs of the Khmer people. Over the 37 years of his reign, Jayavarman embarked on a grand program of construction that included both public works and monuments
Jayavarman dedicated Ta Prohm ("Ancestor Brahma") to his mother. An inscription indicates that this massive temple at one time had 80,000 people assigned to its upkeep, including 18 high priests and 615 female dancers
Three headed elephant Airavat
Tuktuk rides
As we can see in the map, there are roads encircling all these sites and they are thoroughfare also and used by the locals. For tourists who visit the top sites. there are guards at the entrance of each site who check our angkor pass/ ticket to let us in . The rides are scenic by themselves . It is a heavily wooded area with the lake stretching along and the sight of these mammoth ancient structures which we pass by is really awe inspiring.
No comments:
Post a Comment