Angkor Temple: Eighth Wonder of the World

ANGKOR TEMPLE

November 29, 2023

A visit to Cambodia would not be complete without exploring the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex located in the northwestern province of Siem Reap.

In a recent development, it has surpassed Italy’s Pompeii and claimed the prestigious title of the world’s eighth wonder.

Despite exposure to decades of war, Angkor wat, the mysterious temple city in the Cambodia Jungle, still stands during witness to the Hindu Kingdom of khamer. Over 1000 temple survive to tell stories of greatness and power.

Angkor was the Capital city of the kingdom of khmer and the word famous, enormous temple complex of Angkor wat formed  its core. Every khmer ruler was a god - king and each one commissioned a temple in honour of his own divine nature, with which he Expected to Reunite After Death The temple complex is a massive architectural expression of this Hindu tradition. Angkor what was built in the 12th century by command of king SuryaVerman ll  the "ward of the God", in honour of no lesser a god than Vishnu himself, the ruler of the word. The temple complex is designed to mirror the khamer cosmology itself strongly grounded in the Indian worldview. In this sense, Angkor wat designed as a precise representation of the cosmic universe

Architectural views of Angkor wat temple

The Angkor complex was the spiritual centre of the camel Kingdom and its main temple emboded a joining to leader of the wordly and spiritual principles of khmer culture. Architecturally, the temple is the creative anesthetic high point of the culture.

The Temple buildings

The Temple Building themselves were constructed according to the strict geometric principles in the form of a three stepped pyramid with five towers rising from the uppermost level .  The Center tower and embodiment of the dead go king spirit in each case the highest of the five.

The walls of the temple

The walls of the lowest level of each temple or decorated in bas-reliefs.The figure representation form a continuous chronology that relates a visual narrative of Hindu cosmology the release extend over 800 m and cover a total area of 2000 square metres

The most striking features of Angkor wat temple

The most striking future of Angkor wat is the opulent decoration and sumptuous ornamentation every Wall and surface . The dominating motif of relief  sculpture is that of the beautiful dances of the heavens apsaras And devatas who make ready and supply the Joys Of Paradise to all the deities. Over 1500 of these figures are found at Angkor wat, all naked to the hips and wearing a low -slung long skirt and variety of fantastic hairstyles. Each figure is an individual masterpiece and no figure is exactly the same as any other as an inscription found in the temple reads

"your slender graceful shining body shining body clothed in the most beautiful and luxurious cloth, outshines even the complete beauty of the god of the flowering arrow who is the god of love delighting the earth like the crescent of the waxing moon.

The spiritual views of Angkor wat temple

The heart of the temple 

This place is known as the heavenly palace is ringed by a moat nearly 200 m wide that symbolise the pre module sea surrounding the inhabited Earth.

 

The centre 

In the centre of the moat,What Symbolized The Mountain Is My Home of the Hindu Gods and There in the Very Universe Itself. The Ward of the Sun God, Surya Varma Second Commission The impressive more than life size statue of Vishnu in the gallery's main entrance will be every office responsibility with a divine roller The statue is sculpted with suryavarman ll's own facial features.

Also common in many Angkor temples is the visual representation of a foam- bedecked Ocean. This image is deeply tide into Hindu mythology, in which the earth is  perceived as a butter Churn filled with foaming milk.The iconography was particularly appropriate to Angkor Wat, which for the ancient Khmer represented the physical and spiritual center of an ever changing universe.

 

Angkor Wat was originally dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu. However, overtime, it transformed into a Buddhist temple. The transition from Hinduism to Buddhism is evident in the intricate carvings that adorn the temple wall, depicting scenes from Hindu and Buddhist mythology....

  The central temple complex is a marvel of symmetry and precision, featuring five Lotus-shaped towers that represent Mount Meru, the mythical abode of the gods in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology....

   The temple remains an active religious site, attracting Buddhist monks and devotees who come to pay their respects and engage in prayer and meditation....

Some important dates 

1002- 1050 : Region of king SuryaVerman l.

889/890: Yashodhara Pura of King Yashovarman I Took Over What Is Today Cambodia Finding the Capital City yashodharapura

1113 - 1150 : King SuryaVarman ll oredered the Angkor wat temple complex builtin the south eastern quarter of the capital city  

1117 - 1181: Angkor wat was sacked and taken over the chams, the traditional enemies of the khmer Kingdom.

Ca.1200: The " Great Royal City" of Angkor thom was built near by.

1353 , 1393 and 1431 : The royal City of Angkor was sacked and plundered.

1907: The french founded the society " conservation d' Angkor" and began restoration.

1992: Angkor was named a world heritage site by UNESCO.

1998: International aid supported the preservation of Angkor.

November 29 2023 : it has surpassed Italy's Pompeii and claimed the prestigious title of the world's eighth wonder.

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