Angkor Wat: Wonder Temple

Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is a wonder temple. It is considered one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world. I never knew of its existence until one of my friends visited this temple. I was impressed with the interior of this temple and had to learn more about its construction and interior.

Angkor Wat means "Capitol Temple" and it was constructed in the 12th century. It is one of the largest religious complexes in the world. Originally it was a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the preserving aspect of the Hindu Trinity. Vishnu has had nine major incarnations and several minor ones. Vishnu's most well known incarnations were as Lord Rama (7th), Lord Krishna (8th) and Lord Buddha (9th). Two kings were involved with its construction: Survyavarnan II and Jayavarman VII. This temple was part of the Khmer Empire. Eventually, over time, in the 14th to 15th centuries, it was converted over to a Buddhist temple. The temple has a murti (statue) of Lord Vishnu in its southern tower. The Buddha is now the predominant deity of the temple. Keep in mind that the Buddhists kept the beautiful sandstone interior. The temple is full of intricate figures of Hindu stories of the incarnations of Vishnu.

There is a legend that the Divine Architect himself carved these beautiful Hindu scenes. Certainly a master artisan carved the great figures, which cover almost the whole interior of the temple. There is a story in the Mahabharata of how Krishna enlisted the help of the Divine Architect to rebuild the city of Mathura after it was re-located from its original location. Eventually the city ended up in the sea, as recorded in the Mahabharta. Many centuries later archaeologists discovered ancient Mathura underneath the sea. There were great palaces discovered on the sea bed, like those described in the Mahabharata. So you can see, architecture is greatly honored by the Hindus.

In India a number of temples were destroyed by various invaders who only kept the precious stones and metals. The metals were melted down and sold for their monetary value. This temple is unique because its interior was preserved and even Vishnu was allowed to remain as the guardian in one of the towers. Keep in mind many Hindus view the Buddha as divine, but most Buddhists do not view the Buddha as an incarnation of divinity. They were very respectful of the Hindu aspects of this temple. They were into preserving rather than destroying beauty.

The Angkor Wat Temple is a representation of Mount Meru, the mountain of the gods. This is why the towers were tiered to resemble mountains. It is oriented to the West because Vishnu is connected with the westerly direction. The main tower is in alignment to the sun of the Spring Equinox. It has many beings decorating its exterior: devatas, apsaras, lions and snakes. The major materials used were sandstone for the building and gold, which was used for some of the Hindu stories depicted on the walls of the temple. It is a major tourist destination today. Over two million foreign tourists visited this temple in 2013, the last year statistics were calculated.

INCARNATIONS OF VISHNU

Many of the scenes are from various incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The West Gallery depicts stories from the Mahabharata, especially from the Kurukshetra War. Krishna is the major character in these scenes. He is the charioteer in this battle and he advises Arjuna, the general of the Pandavas Army, but does not fight in the war. Arjuna is shooting an arrow at Karna, his half brother, and kills him.

The South Gallery has the stories of the Ramayana with Sugriva, Bali and Rama. Rama kills the golden deer in one scene. Krishna is lifting Govardhan Mountain to protect the cowherds from Indra's rain storms in the other part of the Gallery.

The East Gallery has the Churning of the Ocean of Milk in which Mother Lashkmi appears. Vishnu takes the form of a turtle (Kurma) to provide stability in the Ocean. Vasuki, the Serpent, churns the Ocean of Milk. Shiva appears to drink the venom of the serpent. Vishnu takes the form of a beautiful woman (Mohini) to prevent the demons from obtaining the nectar of immortality.

The West Gallery has the battle of Lanka where Rama defeats Ravanna. The monkey warriors are in this scene along with Rama and Latchman, Rama's brother. They destroy Ravanna, the demon king, who has 10 heads and 20 arms. The chariots are pulled by lions. Keep in mind that the lion is the transport animal of the Divine Mother. She is the energy of the Universe who is the inspiration of Rama.

There are many more scenes of the Hindu epic stories, but I have listed just some of the major ones to give you a little idea of what this temple contains. This temple appears on the flag of Cambodia and is considered a national treasure. What a great and beautiful temple. If you have an opportunity to visit this temple, you will be blessed by Lord Vishnu. The Buddhas may dominate the space, but Vishnu is the true guardian of the temple. After all the Buddha was the 9th incarnation of Vishnu, so it is very fitting to honor Vishnu in the tower. You won't be disappointed when you see this grand and beautiful temple. Its grandeur and beauty is something you will remember all your life.

JAI SHRI VISHNU! JAI SHRI BUDDHA! JAI SHRI MA!

Radhapriestess