Angkor Thom – The Squared City of Alluring Temples and Riches
Buddhist Temples | March 18, 2010Angkor Thom, meaning the great city in Khmer, refers to majestic and ancient city of Buddhists holding many interesting sights for the tourists. It is mostly popular among the people across the globe for its great Bayon Temple. Discovered by the Angkor’s best king, Jayavarman VII during his reign from 1181 to 1219 A.D who came after the Chams conquered the former Khmer capital, the city might have hold around one million inhabitants. Ah! That’s a huge accommodation!
The city of Angkor Thom was made in a four-equally sided squared wall whose each side run parallel to the corresponding four directions. This 12 km wall (jayagiri) formed the guard of the city that was 8 m in height along a 100 m moat that once was the home of wild crocodiles. Each side of the wall holds a gate in the middle via which a causeway passes across the moat in the city’s periphery. There was also a royal palace made of wood in the 10th and 11th centuries, which is now not seen.
The huge region of the stretch more than a mile and holds a myriad of stone temples and other monuments.
Angkor Thom Attractions
- Five Monumental Gates:
These are the gates locates on the four bordering walls with an additional one in the eastern wall. Being 20 m in height, each of them is inlaid with elephant trunks of stone, the motif most liked by the king, and the four faces of Avalokiteshvara. The edges are carved with the statues of 54 gods on the left and same number of demons on the right. This is a symbolic representation of an event from the churning of the milk ocean in the Hindu mythology. Among all the gates, the south one is rejuvenated ideally and is famous for its direct entrance to the sacred, Angkor Wat. The east and west ones at the end of rough tracks are not that busy as the south gate. - The Terrace of the Elephants:
This was once the observation base in Angkor Thom from where the majestic groups used to look at the events taking place around. It is probably named so because of the display of elephants and garuda. - The Terrace of the Leper King:
This is an adorned base on which you can see a middle statue along with its encircling four statues. Each of them looks away from its middle one statue. It is supposed that the middle one could be of a Khmer king who lost his life because of leprosy, probably Yasovarman I or Jayavarman VII. - Bayon Temple:
Perched right in the middle and built in 1190 A.D., this is a Buddhist temple with the depictions of Hindu mythology. The middle location of the temple is done purposely to denote the junction of heaven and earth. The temple allures maximum visitors due to its 51 towers each holding four curiously smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara (Mahayana Buddha) and its remarkable bas-reliefs. - Baphuon:
This is a robust temple in the north of the Bayon erected in 1066. Currently, efforts are being made to bring it back in the same position as it was during its construction. - Phimeanakas Temple:
This is a sacred pyramidal symbol of cosmic Mount Meru that is the home of gods. The temple is on the location where once the royal palace was standing. Although many of its attractive elements are now not seen, one can still visit this yet fascinating monument for a hike offering interesting views of the Baphuon temple.
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Angkor Thom is in the Dom style. This manifests itself in the large scale of the construction, in the widespread use of laterite, in the back-towers at each of the entrances to the south cheack and in the naga-carrying giant monsters which accompany each of the towers.