Recently, I had the good fortune to revisit Siem Reap after 15 years! The city has changed and expanded, many new hotels and resorts have come up, and it has a brand-new Airport. However, when I visited the Angkor, it seemed as if time had stopped at the door of the timeless elegance of the Khmer temples.
Khmer Kingdom: A Brief history
The Khmer kingdom started in the early 9th century and continued till the early 15th century (802-1431 CE). The peak of Angkor’s power and influence probably was between 1100 to 1150 CE. The empire was ruled by Hindu kings but later became Buddhist. Jayavarman VII, who ruled from 1181-1220 CE was the first Buddhist king.
It is not my intent to cover the Khmer dynasty here. This blog is more to give a perspective of the places I visited in a timeous manner, tracing the Khmer empire (which had multiple dynasties).
Early Kingdom
The first king was Jayavarman II who became king of a small kingdom in 790 CE and over the next decade expanded his territories. He established his power and settled at Hariharalaya (in Siem Reap) but had to relocate to the Kulen Plateau where in 802 CE he was coronated as a Chakravarty king (emperor of the world). Over the next 2 decades he strengthened his position and at some time, moved his capital back to Hariharalaya, where he died in 835 CE.
*Waterfall in Kulen, with supposed remnants of early Kingdom in the background.
Fast forward to the reign of King Rajendravarman (944-968 CE) who consolidated the Khmer empire. By this time, most kings with a reasonable reign period built their capitals along with a state temple and usually a reservoir. The temple of Banteay Srei (Citadel of the women) was built and consecrated in 967 CE by Yajnavaraha, a priest and mentor to Prince Jayavarman V (son of King Rajendravarman). Often cited as the pinnacle of Khmer architecture, this small temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is also the only one not built by a king.
*Banteay Srei dazzles visitors with architectural elegance, some so fine that they are believed to have been crafted by women artisans
Moving forward another 8 decades, we are in the reign of Udayadityavarman II (1050-1066 CE) who urged the hermits living in Pulen to carve Sahasralingas (1000 shivlingas) into the riverbed of Kbal Spean river (a tributary of the Siem Reap river)…thereby making the water blessed to ensure agricultural prosperity in the plains below! There is also a beautifully carved Vishnu on the riverbed, with his consort Lakshmi at his feet and Lord Brahma emerging from his navel. Therefore, the entire triumvirate was carved onto the riverbed!
*Sahasralingas on the waterbed
The Khorat Kings
By 1080 CE, the dynasty changed to a line of kings that came from the Khorat Plateau in present day Thailand. The third king in this line was Suryavarman II, whose reign from 1112-1150 CE is when the Angkor influence peaked. Suryavarman II was the builder of Angkor Wat, the temple whose moat, enclosures and towers represent the Universe, and is the world’s largest religious monument. In terms of religious symbolism, the moat represents the mythical oceans surrounding the earth, the succession of concentric galleries represents mountain ranges, and the summit of five towers representing Mount Meru, the abode of the Gods.
The temples of Angkor were all seen as the abode of Gods rather than a place for congregation. The ascent into the summit does not feel too different from climbing a mountain! Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple faces west and has entire walls of narrative bas relief that depict Samudra manthan, heaven- earth- hell, Ramayana and Mahabharata.
*Angkor Wat and its architecture and many panels and friezes depicting Hindu mythology, specifically the churning of the sea for nectar, Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Later Kingdom when Buddhism and Hinduism had alternate ascendancies
Between 1150 CE (when the reign of Suryavarman II ended) and 1177 CE, Angkor faced political confusion with alliances and conflicts between Khmer and Cham (Vietnamese) princes. At this time, a Khmer prince emerged, who threw out the Chams after 4 years of fighting and in 1181 was crowned King Jayavarman VII, considered by many as the greatest king of the Khmer dynasty. In his 40 years of rule (1181-1220 CE), he established Angkor Thom as the capital and was also responsible for building Bayon, Ta Phrom and many other monuments, hospitals and temples across the Empire.
Angkor Thom was one of the largest Khmer cities, a square of 9 sq.km surrounded by a moat. Four gates, adorned with Naga bridges in the format of Samudra manthan (Ocean churning), with Devas on one side and Asuras on the other, allow entry into the city, at the centre of which is the State temple, Bayon. If religious symbolism is applied, then the temple could be symbolising Mount Mandara. The striking features of the gates as well as the Bayon temple, are the faces adorning the towers, resembling Jayavarman VII. Some say that these belong to the Avalokiteswara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, a possibility given Jayavarman VII was Buddhist. However, if one were to look at the Mount Mandara symbolism, they could also represent Brahma, the creator, who is associated with Mount Mandara.
*Angkor Thom entranceway and Bayon temple
After the reign of Jayavarman VII, Hinduism returned as the main religion once more and therefore, the Bayon has significant presence of Hindu imagery as well. It has a central tower, surrounded by 8 others. The western part is dedicated to Vishnuism, the Northern to Shivaism, the Southern to Buddhism and the Eastern to the royal pantheon. It is also acknowledged that Jayavarman VIII who ruled from 1243-1295 CE and followed Hinduism, destroyed quite a bit of Buddhist imagery.
Finally, we visit the Ta Prohm, a temple monastery, intentionally unrestored and dedicated to Pragnyaparamita (The perfection of wisdom, and carved in the likeness of the mother of Jayavarman VII) which was installed in 1186 CE. It is also referred to as the Tomb Raider temple as parts of Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider were shot here.
*Ta Phrom
Little has survived at Angkor post the 13th century, mostly because many of the structures were perishable. With the rise of Yeravada Buddhism, wood was used for construction and none of those structures have survived. However, what survived (and this blog covers only a part of the much larger architectural canvas), is a delight to the senses and a treasure trove for the world. As we walked away, the enduring sentiment I felt was of wonder and awe…such is the grandeur and timeless elegance that is on display.