Many inscriptions in Angkor reveal Khmer rulers from hundreds of years ago. It was as early as the AD 100s that Khmer people started forming villages, each with its own ruler, leading to many small kingdoms. But things changed when Jayavarman II took power in 802. He unified all the small kingdoms and formed a single Khmer empire.
Modern Cambodia is different from the one of the past, when it also included places like China, Thailand, and Vietnam among several others. Jayavarman II made this region the center of his empire and it was later called Angkor. Thousands of Khmer workers cleared the jungles and made the land good for farming. They also started building palaces and temples.
Each and every king of the Khmer empire built several beautiful temples and palaces. This was mostly done to show their power. However, Angkor's finest temple, the Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II, who ruled the Khmer empire from 1113 to 1150. This temple staggers the imagination with its unbelievable architecture.
Angkor Wat faces West and many believe this is because it is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is associated with the West. However, there are several beautiful sculptures on the temple walls of Shiva and other gods and goddesses. Some rumors say that that the temple was initially an observatory and the West entrance was to align with the rising sun and many sun and moon sighting lines have been revealed.
Angkor Wat is based on the temple mountain idea. It has five big towers rising out of a larger pyramid shaped temple that represents the whole mountain. The same shapes appear over and over again throughout the temple indicating the perfect symmetry and repetition. It is not just a temple, but a small city in itself. There are four galleries surrounding the main temple area and are famous for their detailed art work. The temple architecture leaves many modern architects speechless.
At one point, there was a controversy regarding the art in Angkor Wat. Some Europeans brought out the theory that the temple was built much later than the--th century. The reasoning behind this claim is that the temple's motifs look very similar to motifs from the Italian Renaissance, suggesting that they were copied from the Europeans. However, it was later proved that these allegations are completely wrong and have no basis. In fact, it was said that the Europeans may have taken the oriental art from Angkor Wat to Europe.
The chief architect of the Angkor Wat temple is said to be Divakara Pandita, He is the priest who is most praised in all the inscriptions; and an image of him is also found at Wat Phu. He was said to have lived around 1050-1135. He designed the temple based on astronomy and the astronomical aspects were derived from Puranic and Siddhantic ideas based on the Indian traditions of altar and temple design. It is no wonder that Angkor Wat is ranked among the greatest human creations ever. - 33385
Modern Cambodia is different from the one of the past, when it also included places like China, Thailand, and Vietnam among several others. Jayavarman II made this region the center of his empire and it was later called Angkor. Thousands of Khmer workers cleared the jungles and made the land good for farming. They also started building palaces and temples.
Each and every king of the Khmer empire built several beautiful temples and palaces. This was mostly done to show their power. However, Angkor's finest temple, the Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II, who ruled the Khmer empire from 1113 to 1150. This temple staggers the imagination with its unbelievable architecture.
Angkor Wat faces West and many believe this is because it is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is associated with the West. However, there are several beautiful sculptures on the temple walls of Shiva and other gods and goddesses. Some rumors say that that the temple was initially an observatory and the West entrance was to align with the rising sun and many sun and moon sighting lines have been revealed.
Angkor Wat is based on the temple mountain idea. It has five big towers rising out of a larger pyramid shaped temple that represents the whole mountain. The same shapes appear over and over again throughout the temple indicating the perfect symmetry and repetition. It is not just a temple, but a small city in itself. There are four galleries surrounding the main temple area and are famous for their detailed art work. The temple architecture leaves many modern architects speechless.
At one point, there was a controversy regarding the art in Angkor Wat. Some Europeans brought out the theory that the temple was built much later than the--th century. The reasoning behind this claim is that the temple's motifs look very similar to motifs from the Italian Renaissance, suggesting that they were copied from the Europeans. However, it was later proved that these allegations are completely wrong and have no basis. In fact, it was said that the Europeans may have taken the oriental art from Angkor Wat to Europe.
The chief architect of the Angkor Wat temple is said to be Divakara Pandita, He is the priest who is most praised in all the inscriptions; and an image of him is also found at Wat Phu. He was said to have lived around 1050-1135. He designed the temple based on astronomy and the astronomical aspects were derived from Puranic and Siddhantic ideas based on the Indian traditions of altar and temple design. It is no wonder that Angkor Wat is ranked among the greatest human creations ever. - 33385
About the Author:
Learn more about Angkor Wat at KhmerPortal.com or just visit there to enjoy pleasant Khmer music and Khmer rap.
