"This is an extraordinary installation," said the Portuguese monk Antonio de Madelena in 1589, describing Cambodia's "Anchor Watt" to the then-famous historian Diego do Cuto. Antonio de Madelena is one of the first visitors to the 12th century Hindu-Buddhist temple to visit the West. He added: "It simply came to our notice then. Such wonderful patterns are rare in the world. It is unimaginable that the minarets, decorations and refinements of a temple can be so beautiful. "
Located in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Anchor Watt is one of the largest religious monuments in the world. In the Cambodian state language Khmer, ‘anchor wat’ means ‘city of temples’. But when it was built in the 12th century, its name was something else. The construction of the Anchor Wat was the largest religious site in Southeast Asia, and it is well known that Emperor Suryavarman II was behind it, yet the name of the temple is not mentioned in the pages of history. Mysteriously its name remains unknown.
This masterpiece of Khmer architecture is basically divided into two parts. One part is a lot like a mountain and the other part is like a gallery. The polar mountain is basically meant by the part of the mountain. A wall of 3.6 km surrounds the temple and the entire temple is confined to a moat. In the center of the temple is the Queensonx Tower. The design of Anchor Wat is basically like the Mount Pole, the mythical abode of the Hindu gods. Mount Pole is believed by Hindus to be the 'center of the world'.
Historical context
There are three main deities in Hinduism, namely Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Of these, Vishnu is known as the 'protector' or 'guardian'. The temple was built by dedicating it to him. The greatest achievement behind the construction of the temple was the emperor Suryavarman II, whose name means protector of the sun. According to many, the anchor watt was built not only for devotion to the gods, but also for use as the emperor's tomb.
Emperor Suryavarman and Vishnu
According to tradition, when the then emperor Dharanindravarman was traveling on an elephant, one of his close relatives killed him out of greed for power and forcibly came to power. That person is the emperor Suryavarman II. According to one inscription, Suryavarman killed him in the same way that a mountain eagle (a fictional bird) kills a snake. Due to the occupying mentality of the emperor, he tried to bring the whole of Vietnam under his control. He is very friendly with China and wants to occupy that country very cleverly. Although he had many faults in his character, he was very pious and an ardent devotee of the god Vishnu. He always worshiped Vishnu and a statue of him was placed in the central minaret of Anchor Watt by order of the emperor. Signs of his devotion can be seen in every part of the temple. Emperor Suryavarman was given the title of 'Paramavishnulok' for this devotion after his death. According to researcher Helen Legendre de Konick, this means ‘the person who lives in the best house of Vishnu’.
Its construction actually began in 1116 on the throne of King Suryavarman. This work was completed in 1150, long after the death of King Suryavarman. The Khmer emperors built several temple buildings to assert their political influence and to show that they had the blessings of the gods.
Hindu temples are described not only as religious shrines, but also as houses of the gods. The emperors of Cambodia want to awaken another faith in everyone. All the kings have tried to build a more magnificent temple than the previous emperors, to show that the gods are more pleased with him, not with his predecessors or his enemies.
How did Hinduism become extinct in Cambodia?
In fact, around the 12th century, one of Suryavarman's predecessors, Emperor Jayavarman VII, introduced Mahayana Buddhism to Cambodia. However, his successor brought the state religion of that country back to Hinduism. Angry Hindu scholars broke various symbols of Buddhism and placed idols of gods and goddesses there. For example, the statue of Buddha in the central monastery was destroyed.
Later, in the 13th century, a Burmese monk, Shin Tamalinda, came to this anchor in Cambodia and introduced Theravada Buddhism. According to his commentary, he was a descendant of the former Khmer emperor. Such statements created a stir in the state. But in spite of all these controversies, everyone gradually became quite a believer in the Buddhism practiced by Shin. All of them started focusing on their new religious activities by giving up all the different beliefs and worldly hopes of Hinduism. As a result, everyone tries to please their emperor with all their efforts without greed or hope. Instead of religious scriptures written in Sanskrit, people started reading scriptures written in Pali. Thus came the extinction of Hinduism and the arrival of Buddhism from Cambodia. In this context, Anchor Watt also changed from a Hindu temple to a Buddhist temple.
Why is the temple facing west?
Although the location of the temple is usually facing east, Anchor Watt is facing west. Experts have given various arguments and explanations for this. According to Hinduism, Vishnu is the best of all gods and he stands before them. Since the position of the rest of the deities is earlier and the temple was built for Vishnu, this is the purpose of this temple. Again, according to Hinduism, the issue of death is also associated with the East. When Suryavarman first started its construction, he also ordered the construction of his tomb.
Perhaps he believed that if his tomb was facing west instead of east, he would have the opportunity to become immortal or to rule in the hereafter. But there is a lot of debate about whether this was the case or not. Whatever the reason, the view of the extraordinary sunset due to its position facing west is not to be forgotten.
This temple is so revered and revered in Cambodia that this national flag is depicted in this anchor watt. This temple is one of the major tourist destinations in the country. It was even recognized as a 'World Heritage Site' in 1992. According to TripAdvisor, the world's largest tourist website, it is one of the most beautiful landmarks in the world and the best place to visit in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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