Bas relief
The bas-relief proceed in a counter-clockwise direction, which followed the same concept of the ritual order (which goes in the reverse order) during Brahminic funeral services. The historical bas-reliefs were not meant to just commemorate the events portrayed but to animate these buildings with the actual presence of the kings (Suryavarman II in this case) who built them.
Centre of Southern gallery
The bas-relief proceed in a counter-clockwise direction, which followed the same concept of the ritual order (which goes in the reverse order) during Brahminic funeral services. The historical bas-reliefs were not meant to just commemorate the events portrayed but to animate these buildings with the actual presence of the kings (Suryavarman II in this case) who built them.
Centre of Southern gallery
This depicts Suryavarman II, the first Angkor king to be portrayed in art. He is seated on a wooden dais and its legs and railings resemble the naga snakes. He is wearing a diadem on his head and pendants on his ears. Other than this, he is also wearing bracelets, armlets and anklets. All these accessories reveal his wealth and splendor. Moreover, he is considerably bigger than the rest of his servants, thus highlighting his importance. With servants fanning beside him and sheltering him with parasols, the image of his torso curved gracefully and legs folded beneath him show the image of one in serenity and comfort, with power and position. Also, the fact that this carving is at the centre of the gallery already tells us that the king was indeed the centre of the empire and the main source of power. Next to this is an engraved inscription which identifies him as “Paramavisnuloka”. This posthumous name refers to ‘He Who Has Gone to the Highest World of Vishnu’, revealing the extent of his power as an ‘avatar’ of God Vishnu.
Eastern gallery
Eastern gallery
The Churning of the Sea of Milk was the churning the cosmic sea in search of an eternal life. The gods and demon were joining together under the direction of Vishnu for churning the ocean the sea of milk in order to obtain the elixir of immortality. Churning of the Sea of Milk gave hope to the downtrodden as it showed lines of people puling a rope backward and forward, with Vishnu at the centre. The main goal was to recover a lost item in the sea, which was the gift of immorality in this case. This also translated to the people prosperous times, plenty of good food, and well-deserved rest after a tiring day at fields or construction sites. To add on, by depicting Vishnu as the main character of this scene and the one who is leading the people towards their goals, the people’s belief in Vishnu’s power strengthened, which in turn strengthened their reverence to the king as well since the king was the manifestation of Vishnu on earth.
Northern gallery
Northern gallery
"The Victory of Vishnu over Demons" scene is from Mahabharata. It is an epic war which shows 21 Hindu gods battling along human warriors. Led by Vishnu, the good Gods defeat over the evil. Many scholars suggest that Vishnu in this scene is Suryavarman II. Thus, as the earthly avatar of Vishnu, he is celebrated in the scene, once again highlighting the king's divine power and position. The epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana must have been influential as well, since they had repeatedly appeared in the bas-reliefs Angkor Wat, a sacred place for God.
Angkor Wat also shows the battles against the Chams. Suryavarman II wanted his battles to be compared to the battles of Rama (7th avator of Vishnu) against the evil Ravana in Ramayana, thus connoting that he is like a Rama who has won the battle. This would then reinforce the people’s belief in the king’s divine position.
Apsaras
According to the Hindu mythology, apsaras are celestial nymphs of great charm and beauty and are the wives of celestial court musicians. “Apsaras” means “celestial dancers” in Sanskrit. They were the messengers of peace between the kings on earth and the gods in heaven. It was told that these apsaras were sent by the god from the heaven to earth. They were to distract and seduce those practicing austerities because they threatened the power of the gods. Both mortals and divinities were unable to resist the charming apsaras.
Apsaras entertained the Gods. Likewise, apsaras were added on the bas-reliefs of the temples to reproduce the similar atmosphere of the celestial palace on earth. It is known that Angkor Empire had probably 3000 apsaras dancers to entertain the king back then and these apsaras on the bas-reliefs were probably derived from the real apsaras dancers, thus revealing the extent of the king’s power and privileges that he had enjoyed.
Reamker is an Angkor version of Ramayana which had influenced the classical dance of Khmer. Apsaras dance/ Khmer dance has continued since the Angkor Era and is an integral part of Angkor culture and one of the main source of national identity of Cambodia. The dance uniquely involves Khmer gesture/movement and plot. Students still learn this in traditional Cambodian dance schools. This shows that indianisation also impacted the Cambodian culture, suggesting the prominent influence of Indianisation up till the modern days.
Angkor Wat also shows the battles against the Chams. Suryavarman II wanted his battles to be compared to the battles of Rama (7th avator of Vishnu) against the evil Ravana in Ramayana, thus connoting that he is like a Rama who has won the battle. This would then reinforce the people’s belief in the king’s divine position.
Apsaras
According to the Hindu mythology, apsaras are celestial nymphs of great charm and beauty and are the wives of celestial court musicians. “Apsaras” means “celestial dancers” in Sanskrit. They were the messengers of peace between the kings on earth and the gods in heaven. It was told that these apsaras were sent by the god from the heaven to earth. They were to distract and seduce those practicing austerities because they threatened the power of the gods. Both mortals and divinities were unable to resist the charming apsaras.
Apsaras entertained the Gods. Likewise, apsaras were added on the bas-reliefs of the temples to reproduce the similar atmosphere of the celestial palace on earth. It is known that Angkor Empire had probably 3000 apsaras dancers to entertain the king back then and these apsaras on the bas-reliefs were probably derived from the real apsaras dancers, thus revealing the extent of the king’s power and privileges that he had enjoyed.
Reamker is an Angkor version of Ramayana which had influenced the classical dance of Khmer. Apsaras dance/ Khmer dance has continued since the Angkor Era and is an integral part of Angkor culture and one of the main source of national identity of Cambodia. The dance uniquely involves Khmer gesture/movement and plot. Students still learn this in traditional Cambodian dance schools. This shows that indianisation also impacted the Cambodian culture, suggesting the prominent influence of Indianisation up till the modern days.