2012년 6월 3일 일요일

Angkor Wat - The Ruins (3)




Angkor Wat






(Image from planetquest.org)






  Angkor Wat is the largest Hindu temple building in the world, located in Angkor,

Cambodia. The Ruin is the best-preserved temple in the world because it has been

in the jungle. 




(Image from asia-adventures.com)




  The ruin’s name, Angkor Wat, means "City Temple"; Angkor is a vernacular form of 


the word nokor, which comes from the Sanskrit word nagar. Wat is the Khmer form of 


the Pali word "vatthu", meaning "temple grounds". The temple was known as “Preah 


Pisnulok”, after the posthumous title of its founder.




(Image from activetravelcambodia.com)





  Angkor Wat consists of two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture. First one is 


the temple mountain and second one is the later galleried temple. It is designed to 


represent Mount Meru, home of the Devas in Hindu mythology.





(Image from http://www.photodharma.net)




  The outer wall is 3.6 km, and it has three rectangular galleries. Unlike most Angkorian


temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significant


of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its 


extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous Devatas adorning its walls.




(Image from antoniomeetsvietnam.blogspot.com)


  The first design and construction of the temple took place in the 12th century, during

 the reign of Suryavarman II (1113 – 1150). In the late 13th century, use of Angkor Wat 

was changed from Hindu toTheravada Buddhist use, which still remains in the present 

day. Finally, Angkor Wat is totally neglected its existence after the 16th century, and it 

hide in the jungle. 



(Image from Wikipedia)



  In the mid-19th Century, the French explorer found the ruins, and Henri Mouhot 

popularised the temple in the west. Today, the ruins is one of the most popular 

tourist attraction in the world. 



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