Cambodia, Angkor Wat
15/03/05 Filed in: Travel
For many years I have been hearing about the wondrous
temples in the Cambodian jungle. Now after all this
time I am here and very much looking forward to
seeing for myself. To start, these temples are for
the most part very, very large. To give you an idea
of their size each temple is about the area of a
small town. Now put them one beside the other
stretched out across the jungle... The temples of the
ancient spiritual center of Angkor thought to be
commissioned by god-kings, beginning around the 9th
century.
My great fortune this week is to be able to explore some of the most impressive of these temples. My top two favorites are without a doubt the mysterious Bayon Temple (which is in the exact center of the city of Angkor Thom) with its 216 giant four-faced heads looking down on you and the Ta Prohm Temple, in many places over grown by massive tree trunks and roots. Remember Angelina Jolie in the movie Tomb Raider, then you'll immediately recognize these two temples from the film. What you might not get from viewing the film is that long ago these were active living sacred places, with priests, devotees, pilgrims, workers and even kings. It is said that one temple alone required 10's of thousands of workers just to maintain the temple buildings and grounds. Untold numbers of feet have walked these narrow passageways and climbed the unbelievably steep stone stairs. Ok, Angkor Wat Temple is also a little impressive, but mostly for its great size and prominent position as you enter the area.
Massive intricately carved walls reach out from all directions and into the distance. These walls are frequently covered with scenes from the Ramayana, the churning of the Ocean of Milk, and others of gods and demons in the eternal struggle for balance in life. Of course the requisite Apsaras, beautiful celestial nymphs, can be found dancing around the base of many of the temples. Another favorite is the 350 meter long Terrace of elephants, a huge field bounded on one side by a high wall covered entirely in carvings of elephants.
In other places there are entire fields covered with thousands of large "forgotten" carved stones, with no idea of where they originally fit in, they sit and mark time. These days it seems that Cambodia, and most of the world, may have forgotten what was the essence and heart of such places as this. But long ago the spiritual heart of this place was lost, or driven out. Now all that remains are the very impressive spiritual bones of a once glorious past. It's been a long and fascinating day and now it's time for me to meditate...to reconnect with the source of nature.
Please check out all the photos on my SE Asia Portfolio page available at NavaSwan.com
My great fortune this week is to be able to explore some of the most impressive of these temples. My top two favorites are without a doubt the mysterious Bayon Temple (which is in the exact center of the city of Angkor Thom) with its 216 giant four-faced heads looking down on you and the Ta Prohm Temple, in many places over grown by massive tree trunks and roots. Remember Angelina Jolie in the movie Tomb Raider, then you'll immediately recognize these two temples from the film. What you might not get from viewing the film is that long ago these were active living sacred places, with priests, devotees, pilgrims, workers and even kings. It is said that one temple alone required 10's of thousands of workers just to maintain the temple buildings and grounds. Untold numbers of feet have walked these narrow passageways and climbed the unbelievably steep stone stairs. Ok, Angkor Wat Temple is also a little impressive, but mostly for its great size and prominent position as you enter the area.
Massive intricately carved walls reach out from all directions and into the distance. These walls are frequently covered with scenes from the Ramayana, the churning of the Ocean of Milk, and others of gods and demons in the eternal struggle for balance in life. Of course the requisite Apsaras, beautiful celestial nymphs, can be found dancing around the base of many of the temples. Another favorite is the 350 meter long Terrace of elephants, a huge field bounded on one side by a high wall covered entirely in carvings of elephants.
In other places there are entire fields covered with thousands of large "forgotten" carved stones, with no idea of where they originally fit in, they sit and mark time. These days it seems that Cambodia, and most of the world, may have forgotten what was the essence and heart of such places as this. But long ago the spiritual heart of this place was lost, or driven out. Now all that remains are the very impressive spiritual bones of a once glorious past. It's been a long and fascinating day and now it's time for me to meditate...to reconnect with the source of nature.
Please check out all the photos on my SE Asia Portfolio page available at NavaSwan.com