So far, I walked from the main entrance straight up to the first level (that is to climb up the first set of steps of the pyramid) and from the first level, explored each level fully on the way to reach the highest level. I deliberately left the most important (at least for me) part of the Angkor Wat. That is the vast bas-reliefs around the temple that carries many sculptures of scenes from the Hindu epics Ramayana, Mahabaratha, Bhagavatha purana and the king who built this temple. So on my way back, I took time to go around the entire perimeter and look, observe, photograph all. Among the vast number of sculptures, few of them comes to top of my head every time I think of Angkor Wat. One is the way Ravana (the villan of Ramayana) is represented in all the temples across Angkor. We all know Ravana has ten heads and twenty hands. Typically in India, all ten heads are shown sequentially. But in Angkor, Ravana has three layers of heads, four at the bottom, four at the middle and two at the top.
At another wall, there are elaborate details of 37 heavens and 32 hells. Somewhere in the middle of the picture, Yama (the God of death) decides whether a person goes to hell or heaven. Then various heavens and hells are depicted with fine details. In the picture, those who were chosen to go to hell are pushed down.
Later when I walked around the shopping areas in Siem Reap, one painting was keep attracting me every time I see it and made me determine to buy one of them before leaving Cambodia. It is the scene, where Devas and Asuras milk the ocean to get the Amrutham (the elixir of immortality). This scene is sculptured elaborately in the walls of Angkor Wat with 92 Asuras and 88 Devas. the difference here is that the Ravana is at the far end of the asuras queue and Hanuman is at the far end of the Devas queue. I guess this is unique here as I don't think this is there in the stories I heard in my childhood. The ocean below contains many number of ocean creatures, in the centre is Vishnu balancing and above Indran is holding the top of the mountain steady.
Another scene is a general war between Gods and Asuras. As usual, this is also there in a large wall with hundreds of people fighting. Among them are 23 Hindu gods on his own bird or animal Vahana (vehicle). Here Vishnu is on Garuda
Though most of the Angkor Wat is covered with various epics which are incarnations of Lord Vishnu, in the scene of battle of Gods with Asuras, there is Shiva, Murugan (Son of Shiva), Brahma, Agni, Indran, Yama and others are present. Here, Lord Brahma on his vahana Hamsa.
The last section of the wall I visited produces elaborate scenes of the battle between Rama and Ravana that is the climax of the epic Ramayana. In the picture, Rama is standing on Hanuman and fighting. Behind him is Vibhishanan and Lakshmanan. Even the arrows that are flowing around are presented clearly.
Finally, when I walked out of the temple, the statue of Vishnu standing tall at the right side entrance. This is believed to be the original Vishnu who was in the main sanctuary at the top of the temple. With so much seen, I walked out of the temple with a hope that such a heritage which is sustained over centuries will survive many more centuries to come.
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