It was an intriguing, almost eerie, morning when we visited Ta Prohm. The temple was built by King Javayarman VII in 1186. It is among the largest of the monuments in the Angkor complex. At one time it encompassed 260 statues of gods, 39 towers with pinnacles and 566 groups of residences. After the decline of the Khmer empire, it remained forgotten and neglected. Jungle took over the structures, engulfing it in massive roots and branches. Silk-cotton and strangler fig trees enfold the loosened stones of the temple, which was built entirely without mortar. They have taken over the structures, probing the walls of the temple and tearing them apart. Their roots wind through everywhere like coils of serpents, creating an astonishing merger of nature and architecture. In many areas their branches and leaves intertwine to form a roof over the dilapidated structures. As you walk among the ruins, the gigantic trees embrace you. You see nature both as a destroyer and a consoler. As the trees split the stones asunder, they also seem to dress their wounds with velvety mosses and caressing them with delicate tendrils.
As I walked over the loose fragments of stone, which lay scattered all around and surveyed the sublime grandeur of the ruins, I thought of the times when these walls stood proudly in their original splendour and the galleries were the scenes of hospitality and festive magnificence resounding with the voices of those whom death had long since swept from earth. After a few hours in Tah Prahm, we visited Beng Malea, which is an hour’s drive from Siem Reap and hardly visited by tourists. Till recently it was unsafe to visit. Because of its location deep inside a forest, the Khmer Rouge utilized it for its genocidal campaign. The subsequent laying of mines around the perimeter of the temple to ward off intruders took a very long time to de-mine and render the area safe for visitors. As you near Beng Mealea the vast countryside looms in every direction with only the Kulen Mountain range peering over your shoulders. A sole naga head propped up at the small bridge leading onto the temple greets the visitor. Unlike any other place which we visited during our stay in Siem Reap, the place was extremely quiet, except for the melodious calls of birds. The temple is encircled by verdant, ever green forest. Mosses cover large swaths of stone and tiny saplings popping up from minuscule cracks have turned into full-grown trees winding their way around and through ancient ruins. It is almost as if the temple has embraced the surrounding jungle and become a part of it. Beng Mealea, unlike other temples that have been meticulously restored, is in complete ruins. Piles of rocks that once stood as structures for the temples now lie as rubble. With all the greenery running amok everywhere, you feel a poignant sense of appreciation for what once was. There’s something very picturesque about walking through the ruins, similar to Ta Phrom, although Beng Mealea is far bigger and has several levels giving different vantage points down into the temple’s heart. Whereas Ta Phrom has its foliage regularly pruned to keep it from being completely taken back by the jungle, Beng Mealea has been allowed to be swallowed by the jungle. Composed of a series of galleries and libraries built around a central sanctuary and surrounded by a massive moat, it looks as though an earthquake has struck it. Large stone boulders are all that remain of the tall buildings that once stood here, and nature has run riot. Strangler figs wrap around walls, moss grows out of every pore and crumbling blocks covered in lush, ultra-verdant vegetation have tumbled onto one another. We spent few hours clambering over moss covered slippery stones and through seemingly dead-end passages and emerging out from them to find time worn carvings completely entwined by branches. We felt like explorers discovering a lost world! It was as if a war had broken out between the tropical jungle and the once magnificent temple. For now, the forests seem to have had the upper hand, looking like giant wrestlers just moments away from crushing their foe with bare hands! The melancholic desolation of these broken monuments reminded me of the impermanence of power. Ruins have long been viewed as allegories of power and its vicissitudes. In the midst of the remnants of the Angkor Empire, I was much like the traveler in Shelley’s Ozymandias, who comes across the toppled remains of a fallen power: My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare Yet there was an aura of a presence amongst the destruction, as I watched a lovely, languid, butterfly fluttering among the crevices of the boulders. Air grows heavy As forest Moves into the temple Trees embrace the ruins With their withered, wooden arms And wrap the sculptures With blanket of leaves I can feel nature Breathe through these stones . . . The sigh of history rises over the ruins in these images: photos.app.goo.gl/OzTYbRZ9jKUVnRDA2 Kindly post your comments in this blog and NOT in Google Photos!
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After spending hours savouring the richness of Angkor Wat, we made our way to have a glimpse of Bayon temple. Built around the 13th century by King Jayavarman VII, it lies at the center of the town. The first sight of the temple complex across the moat is quite deceptive. Unlike Angkor Wat, which looks impressive from all angles, Bayon looks rather like a glorified pile of rubble from a distance. It’s only when you enter its precincts and make your way inside that its magic becomes apparent.
The basic structure of Bayon comprises of three levels. The first two levels are square and adorned with bas-reliefs. They lead up to a third, circular level, with the towers and the mysterious faces. The outer walls of the temple complex are adorned with astounding bas-reliefs. They depict scenes from Khmer history and offer tantalizing glimpses of everyday life of the people. One of the best sections portrays a naval combat that took place in the last quarter of the 12th century between the Chams and the Khmers. Chams were the heirs of the Hindu kingdom Champa, who controlled central Vietnam. They were the sole rivals of the Angkor empire for a long time. The extensive bas-relief illustrates the battle between the two in vivid detail. It shows battleships with ornate prows - like galleys - warriors armed with javelins, bows and shields tower above the line of oarsmen’s heads. Bodies are thrown overboard, some to be devoured by crocodiles. The king is seated in his palace to the extreme right, presiding over preparations and giving orders. Numerous species of fish are shown, often amongst the trees, since the forest becomes flooded during the rainy season! On other panels events from everyday life are shown, depicted with much candour and humour: market scenes, scenes of open-air cooking, of hunting or of attack by wild animals. A woman picks lice from one figure, while another plays with her children and one further on mourns an invalid who lies in her arms. The Bayon bas-reliefs are less stylized and more deeply incised than those of Angkor Wat. The attention to details is quite incredible. They offer us a vivid visual narration of the times and tribulations in ancient Cambodia. We spent quite some time totally enthralled with the timeless beauty of these bas-reliefs and slowly made our way inside. A plethora of towers, almost 40 of them with carved faces greeted us. They were arranged in a staggered manner to form varying sizes of stone mountains with smaller peaks. These giant stone faces of Bayon have become one of the most recognizable images connected to classic Khmer art and architecture. Who the faces might represent is a matter of debate. According to some scholars, the statues depict the face of the Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. This is supported by the features of the face, in particular the closed eyes and mysterious smile, which represent the achievement of the state of Enlightenment. Others, however, have argued that the faces depicted Jayavarman VII himself, as they bear an uncanny resemblance to other images of the king. It is also possible that the statues were meant to depict Jayavarman and the Avalokitesvara simultaneously, thus allowing the king to take on the attributes of Bodhisattva! These faces, dubbed the ‘Mona Lisa of South East Asia’ are in sets of four and dominate the architecture of the temple. As we climbed the wobbly stone steps and reached the upper terraces, the faces loomed larger. It was hard to escape the feeling that someone was constantly watching you! The faces with broad forehead, downcast eyes, wide nostrils, thick lips that curl upwards slightly at the ends radiate boundless serenity. They do not utter a word and yet seem to convey a sense of ecstatic bliss. There were hordes of tourists milling around, chatting noisily, more intent to have a selfie with these faces, rather than silently imbibing the mysterious aura radiating from them! Deep inside the inner recesses of the temple there was an idol of a seated Buddha in quiet repose, with just enough candles to alleviate the darkness. He must have witnessed calamitous and turbulent years yet the tranquility in his face was timeless. Bayon was the last temple built in Angkor. After that, the epic Khmer city full of palaces and temples was deserted for five hundred years. But the faces of Bayon are ageless and remain etched in our memories… Serene faces Soar in the sky Whispering fathomless secrets Of bygone eras With thousand year old smiles Glimpses At photos.app.goo.gl/cxKOUuddNy2T6gLo2 Kindly Post Your Comments Here And Not In The Google Photos! |
Dr Raguram
Someone who keeps exploring beyond the boundaries of everyday life to savor and share those unforgettable moments.... Archives
May 2024
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