Angkor Wat - Part 2

Part 1 was about Siem Reap. Part 2 was about outer Angkor Wat. Here's Part 3:

Continuing from where we left off, we exited the outer temple wall gate.
Behold, the awe-inspiring sight of the Angkor Wat...


You see it in millions of photos before but to actually see it first-hand - faced with such grandeur, you can't help but feel humbled... This main avenue, leading to the temple proper, is lined with Naga balustrades...


On the main avenue, walking towards the temple entrance: On my left, I noticed a horse galloping around a lone tree. On my right, a little girl & her dad walks on a beaten path; temple library in the background (symmetrically, there's another library on the left)...


Overview of Angkor Wat 2
This is an expanded, detailed overview of Angkor Wat, without the causeway & moat

As illustrated in the expanded overview above, the esplanade encloses the temple. Framing the whole area, is a retaining wall of Naga balustrade. The temple complex consists of 3 levels...


After walking about 400m, we finally reached the temple complex. The stone stairs to the cruciform terrace is replaced by safer wooden ones. Some Japanese tourists rest at the foot of the terrace as 4 sculpted lions stand guard...


Intricate stone carvings on the 1st level of the temple...

The 1st level is an enclosing 800m wall stretch of extraordinary bas-reliefs. These sandstone wall carvings depict epic events in mythology and history of the Khmer empire. It is suggested that visitors take an anti-clockwise direction when viewing the bas-reliefs...


The 1st bas-relief is a battle scene from the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. It depicts the final Battle of Kurukshetra. The Kauravas are on one end of the bas-relief, the Pandavas are on the other end - they meet in furious battle the centre of the wall. Those are Korean tourists.


The 2nd bas-relief depicts an amazing battle-march / procession of Suryavarman II's army. FYI, he's the dude that built this awesome temple. The first photo is his legions of servants, holding umbrellas or fans. The second photo is Suryavarman II on his wicked elephant mount.


The 3rd bas-relief depicts the 37 heavens & 32 hells of Hindu mythology. Carvings of ppl walking towards the centre - 2 tier, road to heaven (above) & road to hell (below). At the centre is a seated 18-armed Yama (Judge Lord of the Dead). The carvings after Yama, depicts 2 tier - one of rewards of mansions and endless servants (above) & another of punishments of horrible torture (below). Note the restored ceiling in the second photo.


Still at the Heaven & Hell section - the 1st photo is a Jap family & the Jap-speaking Cambodian tour guide. You'll see more of this Jap family in the next installment. The 18-armed Yama looks on as the guide explains the carvings to the family with his pointer/umbrella. The 2nd photo is just a giant tree on the esplanade.


4th one. This is my favourite bas-relief: The Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Briefly, this remarkable legend tells of how the Devas (gods) & Asuras (devils) churn up the Ocean of Milk to extract the Nectar of Immortality. The churning is done by wrapping a massive Naga called Vasuki around the mountain Mandara. 88 Asuras take the head end of the serpent and 92 Devas take the tail end, taking turns to pull, rotating the huge mountain. 1st photo shows a giant Asura taking the head of the Naga. 2nd photo shows the lower section of the carving which depicts sea animals reacting to the churning. 3rd photo shows another giant Asura among smaller ones. 4th photo is a closeup of the multi-faced Asura.


In the centre of the relief is Vishnu & the mountain, on a tortoise. According to legend, the tortoise is an incarnation of Vishnu, supporting the mountain so that the churning can take place. On the left are the Asuras pulling, the right are the Devas...


The Devas have crested helmets. Similarly, there's also a giant Deva pulling with the smaller ones. 2nd photo shows the tail end of the serpent. At the end is a pretty scary giant Deva (i think it's Hanuman, the monkey god).


While navigating thru the temple walls & corridors, you come across some oddities: 1st photo is a really ancient Khmer text carvings (prayers? names of pilgrims?). 2nd photo is a huge stone structure (a tomb?) on the esplanade. 3rd photo - a temple guard & exquisite wall carvings...


5th bas-relief. Vishnu conquers the demons. Vishnu & his troops fights the demons off. Really liked the elephant and chariot carvings... That's Vishnu on a garuda (half man, half bird creature).


6th bas-relief: Krishna & the Demon King. Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, rides a garuda to confront the demon king, Bana. Center of wall is a burning walled city.


7th bas-relief: Battle of Gods & Demons. I really like this one. The wall depicts the 21 gods of the Brahmanic pantheon in battle with demons. Attributes & traditional mounts of the gods & demons are shown in the carvings. Description of photos below (left to right):
1) Armies of devas & asuras going at each other
2) Naga (!!!) chariot
3) Goose mount
4) Lion chariot
5) Elephant mount
6) Garuda mount
7) Horse chariot
8) Another goose mount?


8th bas-relief. This is the coolest one. It depicts the Battle of Lanka, from the Hindu epic, Ramayana. It tells of Rama & Haruman commanded an army of monkeys to battle the 10-headed, 10-armed Ravana. Ravana seduced Rama's wife. Ravana commands an army of giants. the 1st photo show the war of the monkeys & giants. If you observe carefully, the 2nd photo details various monkey attacks - thigh attack! groin attack! arm attack!


The series of photos above depicts ultra kickass face attacks by the monkeys. Can you imagine a monkey lunge at you and start chewing your face off? Cool shit!


Description of photos below (left to right):
1) A monkey warrior giving 2 scaly beaked monsters major cans of whoop-ass!
2) Rama (another incarnation of Vishnu) riding Haruman (the monkey god) to war!
3) Another monkey warrior giving the face attack to a horse!
4) 10-headed, 10-armed Ravana (Demon King) on his chariot of scaly beaked monsters


Back at main entrance. A Dude walking up a flight of stairs that lead to the 2nd level...

At this point, we are back at where we first started. We walked around the whole perimeter of Angkor Wat - experiencing the extraordinary bas-reliefs. Be sure to check back for the next installment as we follow Dude into the 2nd level of Angkor Wat, to the Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas. Aw kun, juab kh'nia th'ngay kraoy...