ANGKOR WAT

After his visit to the Khmer capital in the late ^16th century, the Portuguese monk António da Madalena couldn't help recounting the emotion aroused by the sight of Angkor Wat temple, "of such extraordinary construction that it is impossible to describe it on paper, especially as it is unlike any other building in the world. It has towers, decorations and all the refinements that human genius can conceive". It is indeed difficult to sum up in a few lines the magnificence exuded by one of the greatest places of worship ever built. Here you'll find a description of the temple in the order in which you visit it, i.e. from the west gate to the east gate.

Many legends surround Cambodia's most famous monument: for some, it was the Hindu king of gods Indra who ordered the building's construction.

Legend has it that, in the ^2nd century, Cambodia was faced with the problem of passing on the crown. King Devunagshar ("protector of the divine lineage") seemed unable to provide the kingdom with an heir. Indra decides to intervene. Descending to earth among mortals, he gives a son to the Vong queen. Named Preah Kêt Meala ("flowery light"), the young heir is raised among men, at the court of his father's king. As an adolescent, the young prince is invited to the court of the god Indra, in the realm of the gods. He is captivated by the riches he sees, and expresses his admiration to the king of the gods. The magnanimous king authorizes him to call on the services of his divine architect to erect a copy of the building of his choice on earth. To spare the king's susceptibility, the prince was humble enough to ask for a copy of his stables. Angkor Wat would thus simply be a terrestrial version of the stables of Indra, king of the gods! The Chinese traveller and diplomat Zhou Daguan, who reported many true events but also peddled a few legends, claims that the temple appeared in one night at the behest of Indra's architect. To this day, many mysteries remain: the secret chambers, said to house chests filled with gold and precious stones, have never been found, and even the temple's original name remains unknown. The name Angkor Wat has apparently been in use since the ^16th century. Cambodians also call the site "Angkor Toc" (Little Angkor), as opposed to Angkor Thom (Big Angkor). Prior to this, the temple would have been called Preah Pisnulok: "sacred place of (the man who went to) the supreme world of Vishnu", in reference to the posthumous title of its founder, Suryavarman II.

The story of Angkor Wat - the real one - begins in the early ^11th century. The young king Suryavarman II had just defeated his great-uncle on the battlefield and seized the imperial throne. Now at the head of the most powerful empire in the region, he wasted no time in asserting his supremacy. He led numerous conquests in the territory of the Chams, the hereditary enemy of his crown. From his victories, he brought the fruits of his plunder back to his capital. Thanks to this war treasure, he could finally set about building a monument to the glory of his tutelary god, to symbolize his new capital. For, unlike the vast majority of Khmer kings who worshipped Shiva, Suryavarman II was a worshipper of Vishnu. Construction of Angkor Wat can finally begin.

The outer enclosure and gardens

The complex covers an immense area: 1.5 km long by 1.3 km wide. The whole is designed like a Mandala, the geometric Hindu symbols. But Angkor Wat is above all a temple-mountain, a terrestrial representation of Mount Meru, the realm of the gods in Hindu mythology. A moat and ramparts, still visible today, form the first enclosure. To enter, a bridge leads to a gate of honor adorned with a splendid gopura, marking the entrance to the site. At the time of writing, the original bridge was being renovated and a floating footbridge installed. Unlike other Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva and facing east, Angkor Wat (in French, le temple de la Capitale) faces west, the cardinal point of Vishnu. The alignment is so perfect that at the first light of dawn, the sun rises right between the five towers of the central sanctuary. During the equinoxes, the alignment is then perfect, and when the sun is at its zenith, a chamber beneath the top of the sanctuary lights up (archaeologists believe this room must have housed the king's tomb).

This perfect sunrise over the temple is undoubtedly incredibly photogenic. Tour operators are well aware of this, and offer to start visiting Angkor as early as 5.30 a.m. to get the perfect shot. It's a tempting idea, but one that tourists have unfortunately come to realize. In high season, Angkor Wat is swamped at dawn by thousands of amateur photographers. To the point of spoiling the magic of the place. We therefore advise you to visit after the morning rush, to avoid having to queue (sometimes for several hours) at the central sanctuary.

Once you've crossed the moat, it's time to stop and admire not only the first sculptures of Asparas and Devatas (there are almost 1,800 in the temple), but above all the three gopuras at the west gate. Beneath the southern gopura sits a statue of Vishnu, which must probably have been in the central sanctuary before the Buddhist reaction: from the end of the ^12th century, after the Chams had pillaged Angkor in 1177, the new king Jayavarman VII established a new capital (Angkor Thom) and gradually transformed the temple of Vishnu into a shrine to Buddha. Even today, many monks go there on pilgrimage, but unlike their distant ancestors, who were apparently less tolerant, they don't hesitate to make offerings to the statue of Vishnu. A little further south, a huge gate known as the "elephant gate" probably served as a logistical entry point for chariots, carriages and perhaps even the royal and sacred pachyderms.

In line with the western gate, Angkor Wat temple appears in all its splendour. A 350-metre-long footbridge, decorated with nagas, provides a grand entrance. Surrounding it is an immense park, where the city itself once stood. Like all secular buildings in Angkor, the dwellings and royal palace were built of wood. Today, nothing remains of this construction, apart from a few traces of streets on the ground. Most of it is now covered in jungle. A stroll here before moving on to the second gallery gives a good idea of what French archaeologist Henri Mouhot must have felt in the ^mid-19th century, when he was the first to rediscover Angkor Wat, completely covered in jungle and threatened with destruction by the large banyan and cheese trees that were splintering the stone.

Since Henri Mouhot's discovery, numerous French archaeologists have visited to restore the temple. The signing of the Cambodian protectorate in 1863 is partly linked to these ruins (the first Cambodian flag chosen at the creation of this French colony already features the towers of Angkor Wat (just as it does today). With the French authorities in Indochina determined to study the ruins, a political agreement with the Kingdom of Cambodia became necessary. Once the protectorate was established, French colonial troops wrested from Siam (now Thailand) all the territory north-west of Cambodia in order to link the Angkor ruins to Khmer territory. Throughout the late ^19th and ^20th centuries, restoration work cleared the temple and restored it to its former splendour. Only civil war and the Khmer Rouge regime interrupted the work. The collaboration between Cambodia, France and later other nations such as Japan and the USA was the first example of international collaboration in heritage preservation.

The outer galleries

On both sides of the roadway leading to the temple, two stone buildings, whose use is unknown to us, are still in good condition. Called "libraries", it is unlikely that they were actually bookshops. Between these two buildings and the central part of the temple, two later basins offer a glimpse of the sanctuary's reflection in the water - perfect for an anthology photo.
Once you've reached the terrace of honor (which dates from a later period than the temple), in the shape of a cross and adorned with lion sculptures, the full splendor of the temple comes into view. The bas-reliefs carved on the walls of the first enclosure are among the finest in the whole of Angkor. Starting from the west gallery and proceeding counter-clockwise, here is a selection of the most remarkable:
West gallery: these are war scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabaratha. The first, to the north-west, depicts the Battle of Lanka, where Ram, aided by the god Hanuman and his army of monkeys, defeats the demon Ravana, who is holding Ram's wife Sita captive. To the south-west, the battle of Kurukshetra, which saw the mutual destruction of the two Mahabaratha clans, the Pandava and the Kaurava.

South gallery : Angkor Wat's only historical scene depicts a procession of King Suryavarman II. The main figure is Suryavarman II (opposite the^4th pillar), who is easy to spot thanks to his great size and the gilding with which he has been covered by the faithful. He is dictating orders to his servants concerning the mustering of troops. To the left of the king, brahmins can be recognized by their buns. Around the king, servants hold parasols. Farther right (^6th pillar), warriors march down the mountain. The second part of the panel depicts the royal army on parade. We find Suryavarman II (^20th pillar) armed with a pkhéa, a long curved blade at the end of a large handle, still used today by Khmer peasants. At the ^27th pillar, the procession breaks off to make way for a procession of Brahmins, whose leader is carried in a hammock; on the right, the Holy Ark carrying the Sacred Fire, which should sanctify the battle and attract the protection of the gods (musicians and two jesters at the front of the procession). Just before the gate, Thai mercenaries can be seen, this time allied with the Khmers; they wear skirts and headdresses, and some of them are bearded or mustachioed.
To the southeast, bas-reliefs depict the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hindu mythology. At the center of the panel is Yama, the supreme judge (whose name is inscribed in felt-tip pen; perhaps a cheat sheet for tour guides...). Mounted on a buffalo, the many-armed Yama points out those who are to be hurled into the Underworld through a trapdoor.

East gallery: a large scene of the churning of the Sea of Milk. On the right, the gods (Deva), on the left, the demons (Assura) who have resolved to obtain Amrita, the elixir of immortality. To achieve their goal, they have to churn the ocean for over a thousand years before they can bring out the Apsara, then Laksmi, goddess of beauty, and finally the Amrita. To do this, they grab Vasouki, the enormous snake, and use it as a rope. In the center of the panel and in front of the pivot, Vishnu in human form directs the operation, as does one of his avatars, the Kuma turtle. At the top, contemplating the scene, is Indra. The monkey holding the serpent's tail is Hanouman, Rama's ally. At the ends of the panels, servants guard their masters' chariots.

To the northwest, Vishnu's victory over the Assura. Two armies of demons attack Vishnu mounted on Garouda.

North gallery: this section is dedicated to Krishna's victory over Bana, mounted on Garouda. Opposite the^{4th pillar} , Garouda extinguishes the fire protecting the city, watched by Agni, god of Fire, perched on a rhinoceros. From the ^20th to ^23rd pillars, Krishna arrives in front of the city where his enemy Bana resides, on a chariot drawn by grinning lions. In the ^26th pillar, Krishna, victorious, kneels before Shiva, enthroned on Mount Kailash with Parvati and Ganeshe. Shiva asks Krishna to spare Bana. Krishna replies: "Let him live, for you and I are not distinct from each other; what you are, I am too." This is the summary of a Hindu conception that associates the identity of all men with that of all gods.

To the north-west, a new battle scene featuring the 21 gods of the Brahmanic pantheon, each fighting an Assura. This scene sheds new light on Cambodians' interest in karate films. You'd think you were there.

The inner galleries and sanctuary

Once you've completed your tour of the galleries, it's time to enter the holy of holies via the west gate. First stop: the Cloister of a Thousand Buddhas. These four small basins forming a cross, which at the time had to be filled with water, have been the place chosen by generations of Buddhist pilgrims to leave a small statue or inscription of a Buddha. Sadly, most of these have now disappeared. To the north and south of this room, two bookcases remain. Once you've visited these vestibules, the final stop is the sanctuary and inner gallery. As the sanctuary is elevated, archaeologists assume that this area must have been flooded, to represent Mount Meru, surrounded by water.
Angkor Wat's last terrace features the usual layout of Khmer temples: a sanctuary tower surrounded by four towers, linked to the four façades by small passageways with three naves. A steep staircase with a handrail leads up to the top. To preserve the serenity of the site, the Angkor authorities decided that only 100 tourists could be admitted. This can mean a long wait, sometimes several hours. Once at the top, the view is superb. This central sanctuary was open on all four sides. Later, Buddhist monks walled up the doors and carved standing Buddhas. In 1908, M. Commaille opened the southern door in the hope of discovering some treasure, but all he found were Buddhist statues and Brahman images, as well as a large plinth on which a deity once rested. M. Marchal, who has carried out many such explorations, assures us that all Angkor temples are built on solid massifs, and that treasures lying in underground tunnels exist only in the imagination of the natives.

The end of the visit

Once you've visited the sanctuary, it's time to leave Angkor Wat through the east gate, where the rickshaw drivers are usually waiting. After one last look at the ruined stupa, all that's left is to remember the splendour of Angkor Wat. And perhaps promise yourself a return visit.

Tourism

The temples of Angkor have been a major tourist destination since the 90s, bringing Cambodia a financial windfall that contributes to the country's development. Mass tourism is a major challenge that the Cambodian authorities seem to have managed intelligently so far. Security measures and tourist management have ensured that the sites are relatively well preserved, and a large proportion of ticket sales are reinvested in the temples.

A symbol

The rediscovery of Angkor has generated a strong sense of national unity in the country, and Cambodians' pride in the architectural marvels created by their ancestors sometimes borders on fanaticism. Since the end of the French protectorate - which had itself justified its intervention in Cambodia by safeguarding Angkor - political parties of all stripes, democrats or dictators, independentists or communists, have appropriated this symbol of Khmer grandeur. Right up to today's flag, with the silhouette of the imposing Angkor Wat at its center.