Yin and yang of Cambodia in the Khmer kingdom

UDAY DOKRAS

Sra Srang, roughly translated as Royal Bath, is an artificial lake used for ceremonies and
royal baths during the Angkor time. Now it's an ideal place to watch the sunrise.

TO some, it's heaven; to others, it's hell. In Cambodia, Angkor is the heart and
soul. It's anything and everything: on the flag, the national beer, hotels and
guest houses, cigarettes. It's a symbol of nationhood and pride. Such is the yin
and yang of Cambodia, a nation that inspires and also confounds. Like an
onion, the more layers you peel, the more it makes you want to cry, but these
are spontaneous tears, sometimes of sorrow, sometimes of joy.

But Cambodians, whose ancestors established the magnificent Angkor empire,

experience mixed feelings.

"It's sweet, but it's bitter too," says my driver/guide Rady. "We have the world's
eighth wonder, but we've also experienced the cruelest part of human history
and still suffer from poverty and political instability."

Yes. The good, the bad and the ugly is the way to sum up this small Southeast
Asian country. Look at Siem Reap, a tourist city 15 minutes' ride to the grand
Angkor kingdom where travelers recharge and replenish. Life is full of
contradictions: light and dark, rich and poor, love and hate.

To all Khmers now struggling to rebuild their lives after the days of the Khmer
Rouge killing fields (1975-79), the temples of Angkor are a source of
inspiration, a point of pilgrimage and more important, a way for living. IKt is a
amazing experience with which few sights in the world compare. One would
never know the greatness of human wisdom and would never feel the pulse and
pain of the country and its people until you arrive here, right in the center of
this ancient civilization.

See the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat, a spectacular fusion of symbolism,
symmetry and spirituality; Bayon, weirdness in stone; and Ta Prohm, where
nature triumphs over stone - before venturing further afield to the feminine
Banteay Srei and the jungle-clad Beng Mealea.

Angkor Wat, the largest and undoubtedly the most breathtaking of the
monuments at Angkor, is widely believed to be the largest religious structure in
the world. It is a perfect and enduring example of man's devotion to his gods.
Like the other temple-mountains of Angkor, Angkor Wat also replicates the
spatial universe. The central tower is Mt Meru, with its surrounding smaller
peaks, bounded in turn by continents (the lower courtyards) and the oceans
(the moat). The seven-headed naga (serpent deity) becomes a symbolic rainbow
bridge for man to reach the abode of the gods.

Mysterious faces

Unlike Angkor Wat, which looks impressive from all angles, the other gigantic
temple Bayon looks rather like a pile of rubble from the distance. It's only when
you enter the temple and make your way up to the third level that its magic
becomes apparent. Shrouded in dense jungle and standing in the exact center
of the Angkor Thom, Bayon is a place of narrow corridors, steep stairs and,
best of all, a collection of 54 gothic-like towers decorated with 216 enormous
smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara that resemble the great king Jayavarman VII
himself.

Smile along with the smiling faces  of Bayon– built during early 13th
century, Bayon Temple is a centrepiece of Angkor Thom. This Buddhist temple
was a state temple during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, whose delusional
grandeur is evident in 216 giant smiling faces which adorn the towers of the
Bayon. The temple’s architecture signalled a definite shift from Hinduism to
Buddhism. As you enter the giant complex, you cannot miss the smiling faces
greeting you from the top of the entrance. The entry bridge, flanked with 54
stone warriors tugging at a snake is quite a sight. Once you are inside the
temple complex, you will find smiling faces towering over everywhere. The faces
are believed to resemble the king himself. Another theory emphasises that
these composed humanly faces are of Lokesvara, a compassionate Bodhisattva.
The walls of Bayon temple are richly decorated with more than 10,000 bas
reliefs, including apsaras. Walk around the Bayon Temple and get lost in its
exotic interiors. The smiling faces leave one wondering about the purpose
behind.creating.sucha.unique.masterpiece!

These huge heads either look into the distance or glare down from every angle,
showing power and control with a hint of humanity. As I walked around, a
dozen or more of the heads are visible at any one time - full-face or in profile,
almost level with your eyes or staring down from above. At the heart of Angkor
Thom is the 12th-century Bayon, the mesmerising, if slightly mind-bending,
state temple of Jayavarman VII. It epitomises the creative genius and inflated
ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king. Its 54 Gothic towers are decorated
with 216 gargantuan smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara, and it is adorned with
1.2km of extraordinary bas-reliefs incorporating more than 11,000 figures.
A l t ho u g h A ng ko r T ho m i s n ot a s w e ll kn ow n a s A ng ko r Wa t , i t i s
e ve r y bi t a s ep ic . A n g k or T ho m (t r a ns la t ed a s t he “ Gr ea t C i t y ” )
w a s b u i lt i n t he la t e t w e lf t h ce nt u r y b y K in g Ja y a va r m a n VI I a s
t he c a p it a l ci t y o f t he K hm er e m p ir e. I t i s a w a ll ed ci t y w it h a
s u r r ou nd in g m oa t .

Ancient stone faces of Bayon temple, Angkor,

There are four gates into Angkor Thom with the most scenic gate being the South
Gate. The road leading to the South Gate is lined with many different sculptures –
all with different expressions on their faces and in varying states of repair. Each
gate is then crowned with four faces.

The mo s t s c en ic pa rt of A ng ko r Th om is B ay on , w h ic h i s a B ud dh is t te mp le
c on ta in in g 3 7 s t an di ng to w e rs w it h m os t ha vi ng c ar ve d f ac es in ea ch
d ir ec ti on . It i s d is pu te d w he th er th e fa ce s re pr es en t Lo ks va ra , M a ha ya na
B ud dh is m’ s c om pa s s io na te B od hi s a tt va , o r w h et he r t he y ar e a co mb in at io n of
B ud dh a a nd k in g J ay av ar ma n V II . Ev en th ou gh th e l ig ht in g w as po or a nd t he
p la ce w as s w a rm in g w it h Ch in es e to ur is ts , i t w a s s ti ll am az in g to be ho ld
t ho s e ma ny , m an y f ac es lo ok in g d ow n u po n us .

After Bayon, Baphuon temple, which was built in the mid-11th century
and is dedicated to the Hindu god of Shiva. In the 1960’s, the temple
was taken apart with detailed maps and plans of how to put it back
together. Unfortunately, the Khmer Rouge came into power and
apparently destroyed all of the papers. As a result, the temple is still
in disrepair today and the French government is currently leading the
restoration efforts.

Phimeanakas, which is the tallest scalable structure in Angkor Thom.

The legend behind Phimeanakas is that a serpent lived in the golden
tower which would transform into a woman every night and that if the
king of Angkor didn’t make love to that woman every night, disaster
would befall the kingdom. Finally the compound, which is close to the
Terrace of the Elephants. The Royal Palace does not remain but there
were tons of elephants.
Power of jungle

Several kilometers west of the Bayon, Ta Prohm is undoubtedly the most

atmospheric ruin at Angkor. Its appeal lies in the fact that, unlike the other
monuments, it used to be swallowed by the jungle.

But now the jungle is cleared and only the largest trees are left in place,
making it manicured rather than raw like Beng Mealea, which is 80 kilometers
away.

If it were not for the famous Angelina Jolie film ("Tomb Raider," 2001), I would
most likely not have picked this temple. But still, a visit to Ta Prohm is a
special experience. It is covered in dappled shadow, its crumbling towers and
walls locked in the slow muscular embrace of vast roots.

If Angkor Wat, the Bayon and other temples are testimony to the genius of the
ancient Khmers, Ta Prohm reminds me equally of the overwhelming power of
the jungle.
Originally known as Monastery of the King, it is a temple of towers, closed
courtyards and narrow corridors, many of which are impassable, blocked with
piles of delicately carved stones covered by the roots of decayed trees.

Trees, hundreds of years old - some supported by flying buttresses - tower

overhead, their leaves filtering the sunlight and casting a greenish pall over the
whole scene.

The most popular root formation is that on the inside of the easternmost
gopura (entrance pavilion) of the central enclosure, nicknamed the Crocodile
Tree. It used to be possible to climb onto the damaged galleries, but this is now
prohibited to protect both the temple and visitors.

Real.treasure

Pol Potborn Saloth Sâr19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian

revolutionary and politician who governed Cambodia as the Prime
Minister of Democratic Kampuchea between 1975 and 1979. Ideologically
a Marxist–Leninist and a Khmer nationalist, he was a leading member of
Cambodia's communist movement, the Khmer Rouge, from 1963 until 1997
and served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of
Kampuchea[c] from 1963 to 1981. Under his administration, Cambodia was
converted into a one-party communist state and went through the events of
the Cambodian genocide. Rural reform
From 1975 on, all those living in rural co-operatives, meaning the vast majority
of Cambodia's population, were reclassified as members of one of three groups:
the full-rights members, the candidates, and the depositees. The full-rights
members most of whom were poor or lower-middle peasants, were entitled to
full rations, and able to hold political posts in the co-operatives and join both
the army and the Communist Party. [244] Candidates could still hold low-level
administrative positions. The application of this tripartite system was uneven
and it was introduced to different areas at different times. On the ground, the
basic societal division remained between the "base" people and the "new"
people. It was never Pol Pot and the party's intention to exterminate all "new"
people although the latter were usually treated harshly and this led some
commentators to believe extermination was the government's desire. ] Pol Pot
instead wanted to double or triple the country's population, hoping it could
reach between 15 and 20 million within a decade. [
Within the village co-operatives, Khmer Rouge militia regularly killed those they
deemed to be "bad elements".A common statement used by the Khmer Rouge to
those they executed was that "to keep you is no profit, to destroy you is no
loss." Those killed were often buried by the fields, to act as fertilizer. During the
first year of Khmer Rouge rule, most areas of the country were able to stave off
starvation despite significant population increases caused by the evacuation of
the cities. There were exceptions, such as parts of the North-West Zone and
western areas of Kompong Chhnang, where starvation did occur in 1975.
The new Standing Committee decreed that the population would work ten day
weeks with one day off from labor; a system modelled on that used after the
French Revolution. Measures were taken to indoctrinate those living in the co-
operatives, with set phrases about hard work and loving Cambodia being
widely employed, for instance broadcast via loudspeakers or on the
radio. Neologisms were introduced and everyday vocabulary was altered to
encourage a more collectivist mentality; Cambodians were encouraged to talk
about themselves in the plural "we" rather than the singular "I".While working
in the fields, people were typically segregated by sex. Sport was prohibited. The
only reading material that the population were permitted to read was that
produced by the government, most notably the
newspaper Padevat ("RevolutionRestrictions were placed on movement, with
people permitted to travel only with the permission of the local Khmer Rouge
authorities, Up to 2 million Cambodians were killed by the Pol Pot regieme.
Angkor Wat at sunset -the whole temple compound changes from the black
and white in the dawn into golden color in the dusk - a magic show that nature
performs.

Despite having the eighth wonder of the world in its backyard, Cambodia's
greatest treasure is actually its people. The Khmers have been to hell and back,
struggling through years of poverty and social instability. But thanks to their
unbreakable spirit and optimism, they have prevailed with their smiles intact;
no visitor comes away from the nation without admiration and affection for the
inhabitants of this enigmatic kingdom.

They smile, always smile, over the hardships and pain they've ever suffered.

But they never feel unworthy; instead, Cambodian people are confident and
sanguine.

It's daunting and frustrating, but in a country that is among the world's
poorest and depends almost totally on tourism, it is understandable.

"People in Cambodia are so lucky; you can enjoy such beautiful sunrise and
sunset every day,"

"People in your country are also very lucky, because you can travel around;
here in Cambodia most of us can never afford to go out of our city, not to
mention the country," my guide Rady says.

Pol Pot placed renewed emphasis on those living in Khmer Rouge territory
imitating the lives of the poorest peasants and in 1994 ordered the confiscation
of private transport and an end to cross-border trade with Thailand. In
September he ordered the execution of a Briton, a Frenchman, and an
Australian who had been captured in a Khmer Rouge attack on a train. In July
1996, a mutiny broke out among the Khmer Rouge and in August it was
announced that Ieng Sary, Y Chhean, and Sok Pheap were breaking away from
the movement, taking troops loyal to them. This meant that around 4,000
soldiers left, almost halving the troop forces that the Khmer Rouge then
commanded By the end of 1996, the Khmer Rouge had lost almost all the
territory they held in the interior of Cambodia, being restricted to a few
hundred miles along the northern border

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra1qo8XYbC0
By Liu Qi | January 28, 2010,