Angkor Wat: Difference between revisions

Angkor Wat was commissioned by the [[Khmer Empire|Khmer]] king [[Suryavarman II]] (ruled 1113–{{circa|1150}}) in the early 12th century in [[Yaśodharapura]] (present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire. The construction of the temple commenced in 1122 CE and was completed in 1150 CE.<ref name="Ancient Southeast Asia">{{cite book |last1=Miksic |first1=John |last2=Yian |first2=Goh |title=Ancient Southeast Asia |date=14 October 2016 |publisher=Routledge |page=378 |isbn=978-1-31727-904-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zjklDwAAQBAJ&dq=suryavarman+chola+mother&pg=PA376 |access-date=4 July 2022 |archive-date=11 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411141146/https://books.google.com/books?id=zjklDwAAQBAJ&dq=suryavarman+chola+mother&pg=PA376 |url-status=live }}</ref> The temple complex was constructed on the suggestion of Kalinga Brahman Divākarapaṇḍita (1040–{{circa|1120}}).<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Divākarapaṇḍita|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=19 March 2022|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Divakarapandita}}</ref> The temple was dedicated to [[Hindu]] god [[Vishnu]] and the original religious motifs were derived from [[Hinduism]].<ref name="Brit">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Angkor Wat {{!}} Description, Location, History, Restoration, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Angkor-Wat|access-date=7 February 2021|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|archive-date=10 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810081546/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Angkor-Wat|url-status=live}}</ref> It was built as the king's state temple in the capital city. While there are no foundation [[Stele|stela]] or any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple's name that have been found, its original name is unknown and it may have been known as ''Vrah Viṣṇuloka'' after the presiding deity.<ref name="Falser"/> The work on the temple ceased after the king's death, leaving some of the [[Relief#Bas-relief or low relief|bas-relief]] decoration unfinished.<ref name="Ohio">{{cite web |url=http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/seasia/angkor.html |title=Angkor Wat, 1113–1150 |access-date=27 April 2008 |publisher=College of the Arts, The Ohio State University |work=The Huntington Archive of Buddhist and Related Art |archive-date=6 January 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060106041557/http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/seasia/angkor.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Angkor Wat is a unique combination of the [[Khmer architecture#Temple mountain|temple mountain]] (the standard design for the empire's state temples) and the later plan of concentric [[Khmer architecture#Gallery|galleries]], most of which were originally derived from ancient Kalinga architecture and religious beliefs of [[Hinduism]].<ref name="Brit"/> The construction of Angkor Wat suggests that there was a celestial significance with certain features of the temple. This is observed in the temple's east–west orientation, and lines of sight from terraces within the temple that show specific towers to be at the precise location of the solstice at sunrise.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fleming |first1=Stuart |title=Science Scope: The City of Angkor Wat: A Royal Observatory on Life? |journal=Archaeology |date=1985 |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=62–72 |jstor=41731666}}</ref> The Angkor Wat temple's main tower aligns with the morning sun of the [[Angkor Wat Equinox|spring equinox]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/how-countries-around-the-world-celebrate-the-spring-equinox/ss-BBKsKZB#image=20|title=How countries around the world celebrate the spring equinox|website=www.msn.com|language=en-CA|access-date=4 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004185657/https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/how-countries-around-the-world-celebrate-the-spring-equinox/ss-BBKsKZB#image=20|archive-date=4 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/seasia/angkorwat/awsite.html|title=Ankgor Wat, Cambodia|website=www.art-and-archaeology.com|access-date=4 October 2018|archive-date=3 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603203343/http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/seasia/angkorwat/awsite.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The temple is a representation of [[Mount Meru]], the home of the gods according to [[Hindu]] mythology: the central [[quincunx]] of towers symbolise the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat symbolise the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean.{{sfn|Freeman|Jacques|1999|p=48}} Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level.{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p=62}}