The Temples of Angkor

Angkor is the capital of ancient Khmer empire (800 - 1200AD), that stretched from Burma to Vietnam. The Cambodian kings of old strived to better their ancestors in size, scale and symmetry, culminating the worlds largest religious building - Angkor Wat. Hundreds of temples have survived but all surrounding palaces and buildings have long decayed as they were made from wood. The right to dwell in structures of stone and brick was reserved for the Gods.

These temples are a source of inspiration and national pride for the Cambodians as they struggle to rebuild their lives after years of trauma. These temples are still a point of pilgrimage.

These are just a handful of some of the temples, that stretch across miles.

ANGKOR WAT

The mother of all temples!

This is believed to be the largest religious structure in the world. It was probably built as a funerary temple in honour of the god Vishnu. There are more than 3000 apsara (heavenly nymphs) carved into the walls. Many were damaged in the 1980's during Indian efforts to clean the temple.

Apsara carvings on the walls

Entrance to Angkor Wat

A steep climb to the top...

...but Dipak managed it!

Lake in the temple grounds

Angkor in the distance

BAYON TEMPLE

This is one of the wierdest temples, it epitomises the inflated ego and creative genius of the King Jayavarman VII who built it. 54 gothic towers display 216 enormous faces. Aside from the physical prowess of this temple, like much of Eastern philosophy there is a deeper symbolic meaning to it. The 54 towers represent the 54 provinces of the Khmer empire and the 216 faces (all resembling the King) keeping watch on the kingdom from all angles. Pretty cool I think!

54 towers and 216 faces

These huge enigmatic faces bear a hint of a smile

Everywhere you stand these huge faces glare down at you, giving you a feeling of smallness, of being watched constantly. Big Brother was watching even back then!

Bayon in the background

Another of the huge enigmatic faces

BENG MEALEA TEMPLE

Beng Mealea means 'water flower', however it's current state no longer reflects that. Nature has been given the opportunity to totally run riot here. The temple has been consumed by jungle, much of the temple has collapsed and there is a strange sense of eeryness. Though there is a wooden walkway built to explore the temple, much of the journey involves clambering over ruins, jumping through window and doorways, navigating rocks, vines and foliage and climbing rickety wooden ladders. Boy, were we in for an adventure!

Welcome to Indiana Jones territory!

Needless to say, I felt a little out of my depth!

Giving Vedanta a helping hand...or is she helping me!

The place was teeming with bugs of all sorts; dragonflies, lizards, dragonflies, crickets, hundreds of ants carpeting the rocks including big red ones that know how to give a bite! And other creatures I've never even come across before, let alone know what they're called!

There's light at the end of the tunnel!

And as if all the physical activity and bugs weren't enough, the surrounding land just a few metres away from the temple still contained landmines. The temple area itself had been cleared of land mines.

Relaxing in the ruins

PREA KHAN TEMPLE
This temple is dedicated to no less than 515 divinities. Delicated carvings of wise men and apsara still remain. There are four walkways approaching the temple and lead to small steep steps (some barely a few inches wide) from which to climb the temple.

TA PHROM

This is unique amongst the other Angkor temples in that it has not been restored, it has been left to the hands of Mother Nature, literally swallowed by the jungle.

It was a magnificent ruin

The sheer magnitude of some of these trees and their strangulating root formations are colossal.

The roots just seem to 'melt' over everything. A very surreal feeling, felt like we were part of a Dali work of art!

The roots clamber over and through anything in their path, dislodging stones on their way, creating some stunning scenery.


Some of the scenery is so stunning in fact, that it was used in filiming Angela Jolie in 'Tomb Raider'. For those of you that have seen the movie this is the tree where Angelina picks a flower and falls through the earth into .... Pinewood Studios!

Amazing tree trunk

More roots taking over the temple

Yet more roots....