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The beautifully and intricately carved temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in hard pink sandstone (quartz arenite) – Banteay Srei, was built in the 10 th century AD. It was discovered overrun by the jungle in 1914.

Banteay Srey loosely translates to ‘citadel of the women,’ but this is a modern appellation due to the delicate beauty of the carvings. The walls are densely covered the most beautiful, deep and intricate carvings, a ‘technique of sandalwood carving with even an Indian scent to it.’

Garudas, elephants, chariots. Nagas and lions are carved framed by garlands in stone.

This exquisitely carved temple was a surprise in the middle of the verdant jungle. Its really small by Angkor standards and perfectly preserved despite the passage of time. ‘Dvarpala’ or doorway gaurds sit frozen in stone. The carvings are remiscent of Indian temples with even a broken statue of Nandi bull in front of the main shrine. According to Hindu mythology, Nandi Bull is the mount of Lord Shiva.

Background: Banteay Srei was built by Raja Guru Yajnavaraha for installation of Shiva Linga “Tribhuvana Maheçvara” in the year 967. This temple was originally called Isvarapura, as per inscriptions. The temple was primarily dedicated to Shiva.

Tip: Plan to visit this temple before 10.30 am or later in the afternoon, when the color of the temple is at its best.

Here we were in the hotel lobby at 5 am waiting for our tuk tuks and looking forward to another amazing day in Siem Reap. A tuk tuk is a small carriage attached to a motocycle an can carry four passengers. We found these to be cheap and convenient means of transport in Cambodia, with friendly and polite drivers. Soon we were off in the dark to visit the famed temple of Bayon. It was a fairly long drive in the dark through a forest and there was a nip in the air and I was glad I had brought my silk shawl, from the Silk Center in Puok,  along.

And then abruptly, we were at the temple, a large stone structure which rose up like a mountain. In the early morning, we impatiently waited for sunrise. In the faint light of the creeping dawn we entered the temple and were guided to the second level. The rising sun slowly revealed the many faces with their amazing smile. The immense beatific smile under half closed eyelids were vaguely feminine on gigantic masculine faces, revealed one after another from one tower to another around me.  Dwarfed by smiling faces in all four directions, it was the oddest feeling.

Faces at Bayon

There were four faces on on each tower facing the four cardinal directions. Standing on the solid rock blocks under the morning sky, gazing at the innumerable giant smiling faces was magical. It gives me goose bumps just remembering and looking at my photographs.

More Smiling Faces

The temple is mountain of 216 gigantic face sculptures that adorned its original 54 towers. The faces represent Lokeshvara, Mahayana Buddhism’s compassionate Bodhisattva, and are thought to be copied from the actual face of Jayavarman VII, and whose smiles was so gentle that it is often referred to as “the Khmer smile”. Now only 37 towers remain. Bas reliefs on the exterior walls of the lower level and on the upper level depict an unusual combination of mythological, historical and mundane events.

Background: Bayon was the state temple of Jayavarman VII, built in the late 13th century. The temple is situated at the center of Angkor Thom, a walled capital city the Khmer Empire. Four of the city’s five gates are on the same axis with the temple, and the walls of the city form the enclosure walls. The temple was intended to evoke the form of Mt. Meru (as was Angkor Wat), the cosmic mountain at the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. In keeping with this cosmic symbolism, the plan of the Bayon temple is based on a ‘yantra’, a symbol used by Tantric Buddhists to represent the layout of the universe.

Lokeshvara (trans. “He who looks over the world”) is the embodiment of awakened compassion in Mahayana Buddhism.

Pierre Loti, a french visitor to Bayon in 1901 in his book Pélerin d’Angkor, with the remarkable perception of a poet: from on high, the four faces on each of these towers face the four cardinal points, looking out in every direction from beneath lowered eyelids. Each face has the same ironic expression of pity, the same smile. The multiplication of these faces to the four cardinal points symbolizes the idea that the Royal power is blessing the four quarters of the Kingdom. As for the repetition of these faces on every tower. The idols worshipped in the chapels inside the towers were statues of deified princes or dignitaries or else of local Gods. Each tower corresponded to a province of the Kingdom or at least to a religious or administrative centre of the province. Thus if the four faces symbolizes the Royal power spreading over the land in every direction, placing them over the chapel which was typical of each province signified that: the king Jayavarman VII’s Royal power was as strong in the province as at Angkor itself. This accounted for having a four-faced tower to represent each part of the Kingdom. We now begin to understand this mysterious architecture as the symbol of the Great Miracle of Jayavarman VII. It represents his administrative and religious  power extending to every corner of Cambodian territory by mean of this unique sign.

Meditating at Bayon

Apsara Bas Relief

It was like going back in time when I landed at the Siem Reap airport, a small charming gateway to the world famous Angkor temples, in Cambodia. It took all of ten minutes to get my visa on arrival at the Siem Reap airport for US$25 and the hotel car was waiting for me outside. A short ride through dusty streets reminiscent of India 30 years ago. Soon the road was lined with huge hotels on either side and one of them was my destination, the Sokha Angkor Resort.

I was very excited at finally being here in Siem Reap and looking forward to Angkor Vat. A 3 day pass was available at the hotel guest desk for US$ 40 which allowed access to all historic places in the Ankor wat complex, and its visiting hours are 5am to 6pm . We planned to get there in the afternoon when it was cooler, so we decided to visit the Silk Worm Farm managed by Artisans D’Angkor. More about the visit to the Silk farm here >>

Then finally to the main attraction – Angkor Vat. The name means “City Temple”- Angkor is a vernacular form of the word nokor which comes from the Sanskrit word ‘nagara’ (capital), while Wat is the Khmer word for temple.

The approach road to Angkor Vat was lined with large shady trees and led to a large man made lake or moat which surrounds the temple complex. This must have provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle. The huge imposing, symmetrical sturcture in stone was very impressive. A very solid presence which transcended time – a doorway to the past.

Background: Angkor Vat was built for King Suryavayrman II in the early 12th century, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is built in high classical style of Khmer architecture and now part of the national flag. The architechtural design represents Mount Meru, abode of Hindu Gods. Surrounded by a moat is an outer wall of 3.6 km, it comprises of three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. The massive three-tiered pyramid is crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level, to form a quincunx (a geometric pattern consisting of five coplanar points,four of them forming a square or rectangle and a fifth at its center).

As we walked in through the main entrance, it looked like a giant postcard photo against the sky. The complex details became clearer as we moved forward and the visual impact was stunning. There was so much to see and take in at once.

The walls are adorned with extensive bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. As we walked counterclockwise around the temple, the stories of the mythological Battle of Kuru on the west wall; the historical march of the army of Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat, against the Cham, followed by scenes from Heaven and Hell on the south wall; and the classic ‘Churning of the Ocean Milk’ on the east wall. Beautiful apsaras adorned the walls throughout the temple. Large stone idols which were obviously Vishnu are now dressed in saffron cloth and venerated as Buddha. After all, all paths (or idols, in this case) lead to the same God.

Vishnu / Buddha idols

The central coutyard has 4 pools within the cloister which is fringed by long pillared galleries. This is the ‘Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas‘ (Preah Pean). As the name suggests, it housed hundreds of Buddha images, of which only few remain. The pools are no longer filled with water and are great for photo sessions. Standing within the cloister is a great experience – a haven of cool and quiet, in contrast to the brigh direct sun outside.

Pool within 'Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas' (Preah Pean)

The third level is accessed through very steep and high stairs and many have been closed for safety reasons. An alternate wooden stairway has been made to provide access. Cambodian dancers in full costume with the temple as the backdrop was a beautiful sight and a great photo opportunity.

Central Tower, 3rd Level

The temple is a photographers paradise from long before sunrise till after sunset. Artists had set up their easels to capture the beauty through paint.

Artists at Angkor

What to Bring: Wear light, airy, clothing with full sleeves to protect yourself from the sun and mosquitoes. The sun can be intense so do bring a hat, sunglasses and even sunscreen. Always carry your water and maybe a snack. You should have mosquito repellent for sunrise and sunset hours. Wear practical shoes for climbing narrow steps and walking on uneven surfaces. For serious temple explorers, a flashlight, notebook and compass can come in handy. Food, Trinkets, postcards and film are available from small vendors outside the temple complex.

Top spots: If you have limited time the two top temples to visit are Angkor Wat and Bayon.

Some more photographs from the visit

Apsaras at Angkor Vat

Bas Reliefs on the walls - detail

Long Pillared Galleries with Bas-reliefs

Sunset at Angkor Vat