History Of Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat, the temple world famous for its lotus blossom towers and the images of smiling Buddha, is located in Southeast Asia in Cambodia. The temple also has beautiful reservoirs and moats around it that are known to geometrically faultless. The architecture of the temple attracts droves of people each year to visit Cambodia and the city of Siem Reap. |
Sponsored Links:
|
The history of Angkor Wat is fascinating and interesting and covers many eras and centuries. People may be surprised to learn that it is not churches that largest religious structures in the world, but this temple, which was built during the Khmer Empire reign. The temple is considered to be an architectural marvel that highlights and depicts the culture of Cambodia during the Khmer era. Just like all other constructions during this era, even Angkor Wat is built around a water body. The temple is surrounded by square moats and it also has two reservoirs, which are rectangular in shape and stretch for five miles. The reservoirs are called West Baray and East Baray. In addition, in the vicinity there are many smaller reservoirs and three slightly larger ones.
As mentioned earlier, Angkor Wat was built during the Khmer reign, when the people of Cambodia believed in Hindu mythology and followed Hinduism. According to this mythology, the Hindu gods lived on top of Mount Meru, which was a 5-peaked mountain surrounded by an ocean. This should explain to laypeople the design and architecture of Angkor Wat. King Suryavarman II was responsible for building the temple. The five towers of the temple represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, while the moat surrounding the temple represents the heavenly ocean. Each of the five towers is built in the form of an unopened lotus flower. At the height of the Khmer reign, the temple was home to over 12,000 priests, courtiers, engineers and dancing girls besides the king's army and the farmers responsible for growing crops and feeding the residents. It is estimated that around six hundred thousand to one million lived in Greater Angkor. It is estimated through archaeological data that the construction of the temple began some time in 1140 and this temple later on was dubbed Angkor Wat. And, the large water body around the temple was used to irrigate fields and meet the needs of the residents.
However, at the same time, it may be interesting to note that the large population on Angkor may have been the cause of Angkor's downfall. Archaeologists have evidence that some time in the early part of the 13th century, the water system was being damaged due to flood. The earthwork in the West Baray was breached during a flood and rather than repairing the broken walls, the rubble from the breach was used for other construction projects. Hence, the damaged part of the West Baray was not used for irrigation. Then, a hundred years later, the rainy season in this region became inconsistent. As a result Angkor Wat faced many decades of drought; one lasting from 1362 to 1392 and another one from 1415 to 1440. However, by this time, the Khmer Empire was losing control of its land and with the drought, Angkor Wat and the surrounding areas suffered from constant attacks by the neighboring Thai Kingdom. So, the Angkor Wat was abandoned by the year 1431 and the capital was shifted near the present-day capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Many archaeologists reckon that the kingdom found the repairing of the waterworks of the temple too strenuous and taxing.
However, the monks did not leave the temple premises. They continued to live in Angkor Wat and worship, but the surrounding smaller temples and building were not used. Slowly, nature began to overtake the abandoned buildings. While the locals knew that in the thick forest there were ruins, the outside world only discovered the ruins during the middle of the 19th century when French explorers came to the region.
Today, scholars and researchers from all over the world are busy restoring the temple ruins around Angkor Wat and the main temple itself. From the restoration work that is ongoing, it is becoming evident that the Khmer Empire truly built a temple that looks like an abode of the gods from Hindu mythology that the Empire believed in.
If you are interested in visiting Cambodia, you should make sure that you first check with the Cambodian Embassy or Consulate the visa formalities. Make sure you get a visa before departure. Then check online travel sites to make hotel reservations. If you are interested in seeing Angkor Wat, make sure that you make hotel reservations in the vicinity of the temple. Later on you can move base and move to another hotel when you decide to see other attractions in Cambodia. However, make sure that you do not miss Angkor Wat. It is truly an archaeological marvel and is worth the time spent.
More Articles :
About.com: Asian History: History of Angkor Wat
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/cambodia/a/angkorwat.htm
|
The moment you think of London, you will get a few images in your mind, namely Buckingham Palace, The Thames, Big Ben and Tower of London. You may be surprised to learn that one of the most visited places in England is the Tower of London, which attracts more than 2.5 million visitors each year. Most people come here to see the building, its unique ceremonies and get some knowledge about its long and at times gory history. 