Angkor Wat
Because of its size, the plan of Angkor Wat is difficult to comprehend when walking through the monument. Its complexity and beauty capture and divert one’s attention. From a distance, Angkor Wat looks to be a massive pile of stone on one level, with a long causeway leading to the center, but up close, it is a succession of elevated towers, covered galleries, chambers, porches, and courtyards on several levels linked by stairways.
The height of Angkor Wat from the ground to the top of the central tower is more than it appears: 213 meters (699 feet), reached through three rectangular or square levels (1-3), each smaller and higher than the one below, beginning at the temple’s outside borders.
Covered galleries with columns delineate the first and second levels. The third level supports five towers, four at each corner and one in the center, which are the most conspicuous architectural element of Angkor Wat. This configuration is commonly referred to as a quincunx. The towers have a conical appearance due to graduated stages that rise above one another, and rows of lotuses taper to a point near the top.
Apsara Statue in Angkor Wat
The entire shape resembles a lotus blossom, and several architectural lines are seen in the monument’s profile. The eye is attracted left and right to the horizontal aspect of the levels, and up to the towers’ soaring heights. The clever design of Angkor Wat only allows for a view of all five towers from specific angles. They are not visible, say, from the entrance. Many of the structures and courtyards take the shape of a cross. The. The visitor should review the blueprint on page 86 and become acquainted with this prevailing layout. Angkor Wat’s galleries, chambers, and aisles all have curved sloping roofs. From a distance, it appears to be a succession of long narrow ridges, but upon closer inspection, it identifies itself. It is a roof composed of beautifully arched stone rectangles arranged end to end. Each row of tiles is terminated by an end tile placed at right angles to the roof’s ridge.
The steps to Angkor Wat are designed to cause a pause at beautiful obstructions so that the mind can be prepared for the atmosphere of sanctity, she wrote. To become acquainted with the composition of Angkor Wat, visitors should learn to detect recurring motifs in the construction. Galleries featuring columns, towers, curving roofs, tympanums, steps, and a cross-shaped plan appear frequently.
A sensation of height was created by blending two or more of these elements. This arrangement was employed to connect one section of the monument with another. Roofs were commonly layered to increase height, length, and dimension. A smaller duplicate of the central towers was placed at the boundaries of two notable areas: the galleries and the entry pavilions. The long causeway at the entrance reappears on the opposite side of the entry pavilion.
SYMBOLISM
Angkor Wat is a miniature representation of the universe in stone, serving as an earthly model of the cosmic world. The central tower rises from the center of the monument, representing the mythological mountain Meru, which is located in the heart of the universe. The five towers correlate to Meru’s peaks. The outer wall represents the mountains at the world’s end, while the encircling moat represents the vast oceans beyond.
When one first enters the courtyard, the multitude of female figures on the walls and in the niches may appear repetitive, but as one moves closer and looks carefully, one notices that each of these celestial nymphs is unique, with elaborate coiffures, headdresses, and jewellery that complement, but never overpower, these ‘ethereal inhabitants of the heavens’ Apsaras, who appear at Angkor Wat for the first time in twos and threes. These groups deviate from the customary ornamentation of other parts of the temple by standing with arms linked in coquettish positions and always in frontal view, save for the feet, which are shown in profile.
In the seventeenth century, Cambodian poet Pang wrote about the Apsaras as a tribute to the Khmer ideal of female beauty. These millions of lovely figures fill you with such emotion that your eyes are never tired, your spirit is replenished, and your heart is satisfied! Men did not carve them! They were created by the gods as real, beautiful, breathing women! The upper or third level of Angkor Wat was only accessible to the king and the high priest; it lacks the majestic covered galleries of the other two but serves as the foundation for the five central towers, one of which houses the temple’s most precious figure.
GALLERY FOR BAS-RELIEF
Their attention to detail, high-quality composition, and execution set them apart in the world of art. The columns along the gallery’s exterior wall produce an interesting interplay of light and shade on the relief. The effect is one of textured wallpaper that appears to be the work of painters rather than sculptors. The bas-reliefs are of dazzling rich decoration-always kept in check, never allowed to run unbridled over wall and ceiling possess strength and repose, imagination and power of fantasy, wherever one looks [the] main effect is one of “supreme dignity,” wrote a visitor 50 years ago.
The bas-reliefs are arranged into eight sections, two on each wall of the square gallery, each depicting a distinct theme. In addition, the two pavilions at the corners of the West Gallery feature a variety of scenes. The text does not offer a description of severely ruined relief.
Some others are unidentifiable. The relief’s composition can be divided into two types: scenes without any attempt to contain or separate the contents, and scenes contained in panels that are sometimes superimposed on one another (this type is most likely later). The panels run horizontally along the wall and are often composed of two or three segments. Sometimes the borders at the top and bottom are additionally ornamented. The bas-reliefs’ themes are derived from two main sources: Indian epics and religious writings, as well as Angkor Period combat. Some scholars argue that the placement of a relief is relevant to its theme. The relief on the east and west walls, for example, depicts themes like the rising and setting sun. The term bas, which meaning “low or shallow,” relates to the relief’s degree of projection. At Angkor Wat, relief was often created by carving away the background, leaving only the pattern in relief. Although the procedure was reversed, resulting in a sunken impression, portion of the relief has a polished aspect on the surface.
INVITING THE GALLERY OF BASIC RELIEFS
Those who enjoy spending time in this exquisite gallery of bas-reliefs will constantly be pleased with new discoveries and will return as other pleasures of Angkor allow.
WEST GALLERY: BATTLE OF KURUKSHETRA
This war scene is the central theme of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. It evokes the historic warfare of Kurukshetra, an Indian province, and shows the final battle between cousin rivals (see page 54 for more information on this legend). The armies of the Kauravas and Pandavas march from opposite ends of the panel to the middle, where they clash in battle. Headpieces distinguish the warriors of both armies. The scene begins with army moving into battle while musicians play a rhythmic cadence. The battlefield is a scene of hand-to-hand warfare and numerous dead soldiers.
Chief officers and generals (shown on a bigger scale) monitor the combat from chariots, elephants, and horses. The situation grows steadily and culminates in a melée. Bisma (at the beginning of the pane), one of the Mahabharata’s heroes and commander of the Kauravas, is pierced by an arrow and dying, surrounded by his warriors. Arjuna (with a shield bearing the face of the demon Rahu) launches an arrow at his half-brother Krsna, killing him. After death, Krisna (four arms) becomes Arjuna’s charioteer.
SOUTH (HISTORICAL) GALLERY—ARMY OF KING SORYAVAMAN II
This gallery portrays a magnificent triumphal procession following a fight between Khmers and their opponents. The reliefs depict military methods, primarily hand-to-hand combat, as they lack machinery and firearm knowledge.
This panel’s background depicts trees and animals in a lifelike manner that is remarkable. The central figure in this collection is King Suryavarman II, thINSCRIPTIONf Angkor Wat, who appears twice. An inscription on the panel identifies him by his posthumous name, implying that it was done after he died. The rectangular holes randomly carved in this gallery may have carried temple treasures. On the upper tier, the king (seated with traces of gilded on his body) has an audience on a mountaintop. Walk down a mountain in the forest just below the location.
The army assemble for inspection, and the leader, mounted on elephants, joins his troops as they march towards the enemy. The commander’s rank is shown by a little inscription near the image. King Suryavarman II stands atop an elephant with a conical helmet and a sword with the blade across his shoulder, as servants around him carry 15 ceremonial umbrellas. Visnu is on a Garuda on a Garuda on a flagpole in front of the king’s elephant. A boisterous and raucous parade of the Sacred Fire (held in an ark) follows, complete with standard bearers, musicians, and jesters. Brahmans chant with the accompaniment of cymbals. The royal sacrifice is performed in a palanquin.
Towards the end of the panel, the military procession resumes with a troop of Thai soldiers (pleated skirts with floral pattern, belts with long pendants, plaited hair, headdresses with plumes, and short moustaches) headed by their commander on an elephant. The Thai troops were most likely mercenaries from the province of Louvo (now Lopburi), who had been forced into the Khmer army. A lot of Khmer warriors wear helmets with horns from animal heads (deer, horse, bird), and some of their shields are adorned with monsters for the same reason.
panel. The lowest half of the panel was severely broken and littered with cement.
EAST GALLERY: CHURNING OF THE OCEAN OF MILK
This is Angkor Wat’s most famous panel of bas-reliefs, based on the Indian epic Bagavata-Pourana. Gods and devils churn the Ocean of Milk to create Amrta, the life-giving elixir. The objective of the churning is to recover lost riches such as the sourer of immortality, Laksmi, the goddess of good fortune, Indra’s milk white elephant, and the nymph of loveliness. The return of these objects represents wealth. It takes place during Visnu’s second ascent, when he transforms into a tortoise.
The scene is divided into three layers. The lower layer has numerous aquatic species, both actual and fantastical, and is surrounded by a serpent. The middle tier is divided into two rows: 92 demons with round bulging eyes and crested helmets on one side and 88 gods with almond-shaped eyes and conical headdresses on the other. They operate together by grasping and churning the serpent. Hanuman, the monkey god, aids. Visnu, in his tortoise rebirth, offers the rear of his shell as a basis for the mountain Mandara and a pivot for the churning process. He sits at the bottom of the ocean. A massive string shaped like the body of the serpent Vasuki serves as a stirring tool to churn the waves.
To begin the action, the gods and demons twist the serpent’s body, with the demons holding the serpent’s head and the gods holding its tail. Then, by tugging it repeatedly back and forth, they cause the pivot to revolve and churn the water.
The gods and demons are led by three people who are distinguished by their bigger size. Indra is on top of Visnu. On the extreme right, Hanuman, the gods’ ally, tickles the serpent. Upper tier: During the churning, numerous feminine spirits emerge. Visnu reappears in this scene in yet another incarnation–this time as a human–to preside over the “churning,” which, according to mythology, lasted more than 1,000 years.
Numerous additional entities are shown, including Indra’s three-headed elephant mount, Apsaras, and Laksmi, the goddess of beauty. The churning causes the serpent to vomit fatal venom, which covers the seas. Fearful that the venom will harm the gods and demons, Brahma intervenes and asks Siva to consume and swallow the venom, which will leave a permanent mark on Siva’s throat. He agrees, and as a result, Amtrak flows forth. The monster rushes to catch all of the liquid. Visnu rushes to the rescue, taking on yet another reincarnation in the shape of Maya, a stunning beauty who is able to restore much of the desired liquid.
Churning of the Ocean of Milk, Bas Relief
INSCRIPTION Just past the middle of the East Gallery, there is an interesting inscription from the early eighteenth century, when Angkor Wat was a Buddhist monastery. It speaks about a provincial governor who built a tiny mausoleum to house the remains of his wife and children. The construction is in bad condition, although it is still visible in its original location, directly in front of the gallery’s inscription.
VICTORY OF VISNU OVER THE DEMONS The bas-reliefs in this section of the Wast GalleryNORTH GALLERYh part of the North Gallery were most likely built later, maybe in the fifteenth or sixteenth century. The stiffness of the forms, as well as the sloppy execution, reflect this transition. An army of demons advances toward the middle of the panel. Visnu (four arms) perches on a Garuda’s shoulders.
A scene of devastation ensues. Visnu slaughters the adversaries on all sides and scatters the corpses. Marching warriors surround the demon leaders (who are mounted on animals or riding in monster-drawn chariots). Another set of warriors (bows and arrows) and their chiefs (in chariest or mounted on massive peacocks) followed.
NORTH GALLERY Krisna triumphed over Bana, the Demon King.
Visnu, in his form as Krsna (framed by two heroes), is sitting on the shoulders of a Gruda at the start of the panel. Agni, the deity of fire (with numerous arms), sits on a rhinoceros behind him. This scene occurs multiple times. A wall enclosing the city is on fire, preventing Krsna (riding a Garuda) and his army of gods from advancing. This Krsna scene appears multiple times throughout the panel. The Garuda extinguishes the fire with water from the sacred Ganges River. The demon Bana (many arms mounted on a rhinoceros) arrives from the opposite side. Extreme right: Krsna (1,000 heads, hands across his breast) kneels in front of Siva, who is enthroned on Mount Kailasa with his wife Parvati and their son Ganesa (the head of an elephant), demanding that Siva spare Bana’s life.
Battle of the Gods and Demons
A procession of 21 Brahmanic pantheon gods marching with classic traits and conventional mounts. One deity fights a demon, while warriors from both sides fight in the background. The Kubera, God of Wealth (with bow and arrow), appears on the shoulders of a Yaksa, followed by Skanda, God of War (multiple heads and arms), mounded on a peacock; Indra stands on his mount, the elephant; Visnu (four arms) sits on his mount, a guard; a demon (tiered heads) shaking swords; Yama, God of Death, and. Justice wields a sword and shield on a horse-drawn chariot, while Varian, the God of the Water, rides a five-headed snake harnessed like a beast.
WEST GALLERY: BATTLE OF LANKA.
This scene from the Ramayana depicts a long and deadly battle between Rama and the demon king Ravana (10 heads and 20 arms) toward the center. It is one of the best bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat. The battle takes place in Lanka (Sri Lanka) and concludes with the defeat of Ravana, the abductor of Sita, Rama’s beautiful bride. The principal characters are the monkey warriors who fight against the rakshasas on Rama’s side.
The savagery of battle is contrasted with a lovely depiction of nimble monkeys. Past the center: Rama stands on Sugriva’s shoulders, surrounded by arrows; Laksmana, his brother, and an elderly demon stand beside him. Nearby, the demon king Ravana (10 heads and 20 arms) rides in a chariot pulled by mythological lions.
Nala, the monkey that built Rama’s bridge to Lanka, stands between them, balancing on the heads of two lions. He puts the body of the person he has just beaten over his shoulder. A monkey prince cuts off an elephant’s tusk, which is capped with a three-pointed hat, and throws both him and the demon to the ground.
