Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ANGKOR WAT
days/1 week US$20/40/60)
, the ultimate expression of Khmer genius, is simply staggering and
is matched by only a few select spots on earth such as Machu Picchu and Petra.
Angkor Wat is, quite literally, heaven on earth. Angkor is the earthly representation of
Mt Meru, the Mt Olympus of the Hindu faith and the abode of ancient gods. The 'temple
that is a city', Angkor Wat is the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion.
The Cambodian god-kings of old each strove to better their ancestors' structures in size,
scale and symmetry, culminating in what is believed to be the world's largest religious
building, the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat.
The temple is the heart and soul of Cambodia. It is the national symbol, the epicentre of
Khmer civilisation and a source of fierce national pride. Soaring skyward and surrounded
by a moat that would make its European castle counterparts blush, Angkor Wat is one of
the most inspired and spectacular monuments ever conceived by the human mind. Unlike
the other Angkor monuments, it was never abandoned to the elements and has been in vir-
tually continuous use since it was built.
Simply unique, it is a stunning blend of spirituality and symmetry, an enduring example
of humanity's devotion to its gods. Relish the very first approach, as that spine-tickling mo-
ment when you emerge on the inner causeway will rarely be felt again. It is the best-pre-
served temple at Angkor, and repeat visits are rewarded with previously unnoticed details.
There is much about Angkor Wat that is unique among the temples of Angkor. The most
significant fact is that the temple is oriented towards the west. Symbolically, west is the dir-
ection of death, which once led a large number of scholars to conclude that Angkor Wat
must have existed primarily as a tomb. This idea was supported by the fact that the magni-
ficent bas-reliefs of the temple were designed to be viewed in an anticlockwise direction, a
practice that has precedents in ancient Hindu funerary rites. Vishnu, however, is also fre-
quently associated with the west, and it is now commonly accepted that Angkor Wat most
likely served both as a temple and as a mausoleum for Suryavarman II.
Angkor Wat is famous for its beguiling
apsaras
(heavenly nymphs). More than 3000
apsaras
are carved into the walls of Angkor Wat, each of them unique, and there are 37 dif-
ferent hairstyles for budding stylists to check out. Many of these exquisite
apsaras
were
damaged during Indian efforts to clean the temples with chemicals during the 1980s, the ul-
