Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia: Amidst the Greatness
No other man-made structure has made me feel so small.
As soon as I stepped on the temple grounds, I felt weirdly belittled but not in a bad way. Angkor Wat is immense, and I’m not talking about just its size. From the intricacy of the bas reliefs in its galleries to its role in the history and culture of Cambodia, everything about this colossal structure must have required tremendous amount of time, resources, effort, and patience. and standing in the middle of the site, I could not help feeling insignificant compared to the surrounding grandeur made of sandstone.
The Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat literally means “temple city,” and judging by the sheer size of the site, no other name fits better. It is constructed with five to ten million sandstone blocks over 500 acres (208 hectares) of forest. built in the 12th century under King Suryavarman II of the mighty Khmer Empire, the temple complex was originally used to honor Vishnu, a Hindu god believed to be responsible for the sustenance and preservation of the universe. In the 14th century, however, the site was converted for Buddhism.
The largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat is a testament to the glory and power of the Khmer Empire, which at one point covered modern day Cambodia and most parts of Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.
Today Angkor Wat is not only the most popular tourist attraction in Cambodia but also the most important symbol of the country that it appears on the national flag and every possible merchandise in its major cities.
Outside the galleries of Angkor Wat
Exploring Angkor Wat: layout and Architecture
Truth be told, yes, I was expecting a gigantic temple. What greeted me, however, was a gigantic temple complex. The plan of the site looked simple at first glance but its elaborateness combined with its vastness not only amazes but also disorients tourists, who will often find themselves picking up their jaws on the floor. The complex consists of the central tower, surrounded by three rectangular galleries, surrounded by an outer wall, surrounded by a moat. Confusing, eh?
Angkor Wat Layout
A closer look at the layout of the central Sanctuary and the outer Galleries
From the main entrance, a sandstone causeway extends over the moat, piercing through the outer wall, across courtyards, right to the center of the site. The courtyards are also peppered with several much smaller buildings (libraries). Ponds (basins) also cover some parts of the area.
Buddhist monks on the causeway to the temple
Stone lions guarding Angkor Wat!
Stone lions flanking the mouth of the causeway were first to welcome me at the site. Tourists were already flooding the entrance so I decided to stay outside for a moment and watch the water that fronted the temple complex. While most medieval castles had moats as defense from enemy attacks, that of Angkor Wat’s must have served a different purpose. Some say it was just part of a more expansive system of canals that could have been used to regulate irrigation. The water here was so still during my visit that they mirrored the walls and the trees almost perfectly. The only disturbance was the lotus plants that thrived in its waters.
The walkway ends at the entry gate, part of the bordering outer buildings, topped with three towers. Their upper portions had already collapsed. From the outside, these front towers block the view of the central quincunx of towers. once I made it past the gate, I walked on the causeway that stretched from the gate, cutting through a spacious courtyard that was carpeted by grass. To the left was a series of stores selling souvenirs, postcards, and drinks. The entrance to the galleries was fronted by a cross-shaped area known as the Terrace of Honor.
The galleries are divided into three layers (or levels) that are arranged to form rectangular borders. The levels rise considerably from the ground as you go inward and, of course, the upper levels are smaller. The lowest levels are roofed and colonnaded galleries featuring magnificent, intricate bas reliefs that depict scenes from religious, historical, and literary texts. These scenes are the following:
North: battle of Gods and Demons, victory of Krishna
East: victory of Vishnu, Churning of the ocean of Milk
South: heaven and Hell, The Grand Army
West: battle of Kurukshetra, battle of Lanka
The bas reliefs caught me off-guard. I did not know about this part of the temple and I was mercilessly blown away by the tortuous carvings that crept on the walls. Of all the nooks and spots of the site, it was probably here at the outer galleries that I stayed the longest. I just couldn’t believe how they were able to etch such intricate yet delicate images and patterns on the solid wall on such a massive scale. I stood there with my mouth open, in utter awe the whole time.
Bas reliefs at the West Gallery
Some carvings of devatas around the site
Middle galleries
One of tKnižnice na druhej úrovni
Najvyššia úroveň je miesto, kde sa nachádza centrálny chrám. Je korunovaný quincunxom veží, ktorý je v centre najvyššieho, o ktorom sa hovorí, že je rovnako vysoký ako katedrála Notre Dame v Paríži. Tieto viacúrovňové veže majú podobu kvetov kamenných lotosových kvetov, ktoré sa zužujú na vrchol ako nebeské bosleny. Všetky tieto veže zdieľajú rovnakú základňu uprostred betónového nádvoria hornej úrovne, kde sa väčšina vyčerpaných turistov rozhodne odpočívať. Hostia môžu vyliezť na najvyššiu vežu za predpokladu, že sú v dobrom fyzickom stave. K dispozícii je novo postavené schodisko, ktoré môžu návštevníci použiť na dosiahnutie vrcholu. Slovo opatrne – let je veľmi strmý, kroky malé a výškové skľučujúce. Na vrchole nájdete dve veci: najposvätnejší obraz v chráme a veľkolepý výhľad na Angkor!
Centrálna svätyňa. Vidíte, ako sú malí ľudia v porovnaní so štruktúrou?
Najvyššia veža Angkor Wat
Pohľad z jednej z veží
Turista a jej sprievodca v najvyššej dostupnej časti chrámu
Angkor Wat je určite sto krát väčší, ako som čakal. Vzhľadom na to, že som sa rozhodol proti skontrolovaniu knižníc a ostatných galérií z dôvodu časových obmedzení, stále som skončil úplne vyčerpaný. Len prechádzka po mieste môže byť celkom skúškou výdrže a zdravého rozumu. Illustrita, vznešenosť, význam a veľkosť stránky určite vyhodia vašu myseľ, keď rozdrvila baňu. V skutočnosti, žiadna iná umelá štruktúra ma prinútila cítiť sa tak malá.
Ako sa dostať do Angkor Wat: Z centra mesta Siem Reap si najmite tuktuk na turné Angkor iba za 12 USD. To vás zavedie do troch rôznych chrámov v archeologickom parku Angkor vrátane Angkor Wat. Môžete si tiež prenajať bicykel za 1 USD, potom zasiahnuť Vithei Charles de Gaulle, hlavnú cestu do Angkor Wat. Na pravej strane uvidíte kanceláriu lístkov. Po získaní lístka pokračujte v ceste rovnakej cesty. Keď dosiahnete priekopu, odbočte doľava, potom odbočte doprava. Okamžite uvidíte Angkor Wat.
Viac tipov na YouTube ⬇
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