Page 34 - Seniorstoday December 2023 Issue

here. Built between 12th and 13th Century
it was dedicated to King Jayavarman VII’s
mother. This haunting beauty, a 600 room
structure had a population of over 70,000
people. The temple was home to high
priests, monks, dancers and labours. It
was a powerhouse which controlled great
wealth in gold and jewels and roughly
3000 villages nearby!

Another awe inspiring structure is the
BAYON temple with its giant smiling
stone faces. It is at the centre of King
Jayavarman’s capital Angkor Thom, and
the last one to be built in Angkor. It is
the only temple to be built primarily as
a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated Vishnu. It is believed to have taken 30
to the Buddha. Following Jayavarman’s years to build. It was later dedicated
death, it was modified by Hindu and to Buddhism and is the only one of the
Theravada Kings in accordance to their Angkorian Temples to remain in religious
religious preferences. The similarity of use throughout the centuries. Even now
the 216 serene and gigantic faces to the hordes of people visit the temple for
other statues of Jayavarman VII’s has religious ceremonies especially during
led many scholars to deduce that these the period when they celebrate the festival
are representations of the king himself. of the dead (akin to the shraad or Pitru
Others believe that the faces belong Paksh in India). Unusual for a Khmer
to Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of temple, it is oriented to the West, which
compassion. has led experts to believe it was a funeral
In the 11th century King Suryavarman temple for King Suryavarman II, because
II founded a glorious dynasty during his it faces the setting sun. Also bas reliefs are
reign. The Angkor Wat Temple built by designed to be viewed from left to right in
him is the largest and the most important keeping with Hindu death rituals. Just like
of these temples. Full of courtyards the Indian Hindus 16 days are earmarked
and carvings, it was dedicated to Lord to remember and celebrate the paternal

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