The anticipation and excitement woke me at the crack of dawn. I checked and rechecked my camera gear repeatedly to ensure that there was no hiccup at the last minute. A short car ride later we were at the site.
It was already getting crowded as we entered the hallowed grounds. Travelers from around the globe, some alone, others in pairs or groups arrived to witness and marvel at the marriage of the resplendent and mystical sunrise with this magnificent holy shrine. It is truly a match made in heaven. Looking around I finally found my ideal spot --- a suitable elevation on one of the peripheral temples to place my tripod and camera. With great anticipation we all faced the East. Billowing clouds, the darkness and mist shrouded the area adding to the mystery. As the darkness gradually lifted and haze receded, like an apparition arising from the darkness, the suns rays illuminated the majestic edifice soaring into the heavens. It was as if Brahma the creator was painting a celestial masterpiece on his canvas of heaven and earth, creating a dazzling display for his mortal subjects. A stunning monument, “Angkor Wat”, literally meaning Temple City, a creation that rivals the Pyramids of ancient Egypt and the Colosseum of ancient Rome.
Built by the God-King, Suryavarman II, the unifier of the Khmer people, in the 12th century AD, it was a Hindu temple city dedicated to Lord Vishnu, unlike the Shaiva tradition of previous kings. Conceived with courage and audacity, King Suryavarman, instructed his head Architect-priest, to design a Temple of such beauty and grandeur, unrivaled in the world, as an everlasting legacy of his reign. Built over a period of 30 years, it continues to remain a powerful symbol of the Khmer-Cambodia of modern times, and is depicted in their national flag and currency notes.
The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, home of the Gods and prime example of classical Khmer architecture. One of the recurring themes that I saw in the bas-reliefs and the sculptures was the “Samudra Manthan” of Hindu mythology, where the Devas and Asuras churned the ocean, for Amrita, the nectar of immortality, using Mount Mandara as the churning rod, supported by Kurma, the turtle avatar of Lord Vishnu, and Vasuki the serpent as the rope.
Mahayana and later Theravada Buddhism replaced Hinduism, in Cambodia, in the 13th Century and Angkor Wat became a Buddhist shrine. But the underlying Hindu theme remains intertwined with Buddhist tradition. There are walls and walls of bas-reliefs and intricate carvings depicting scenes from the Ramayana. The Hindu trinity of Brahma the creator, Shiva the destroyer and Vishnu the preserver adorn the many stupas.
It was ironic that my Khmer Buddhist guide, who took me around the temple, reconnected me to my Hindu roots, not in Hindu India but in Buddhist Cambodia.
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