Throughout the semester, my
classmates and myself have been working on a research paper involving an
example of non-western architecture of our choosing. The architectural work that I selected is
Angkor Wat. I would like to share some
interesting information that I've found.
Though the name and general information about this temple in Cambodia is
well known, the magnitude and beauty of Angkor Wat may be lost on even the most
astute architectural scholars.
The
Buddhist temple known as Angkor Wat began its long history in northern Cambodia
in the early 12th century. It
is a product of the ancient Khmer Empire.
As interesting as the temple is itself, it serves to tell the stories of
the people involved in its distant past.
It has survived the ever-changing political and natural landscape it has
found itself in with great poise. Though
it is partly succumbing to the landscape around it, it is still serves as a
testament to the resourcefulness of the people who built it. (Fujioka, Tsunenari & Mori, 1972)
Suryavarman,
the Khmer king who commissioned the construction, broke with the tradition of
his ancestors and dedicated the temple to the god Vishnu instead of the more
common Shiva. Purportedly for this reason,
the temple faces the west. The west was
considered to be the domain of the god Vishnu.
The people of Khmer toiled away at the construction of the moat and
temple for approximately thirty to thirty-five years before they finally
finished. From the excavation of the
moat to the skilled carving of the bas-reliefs, it took nearly the whole
reserve of man-power to complete Angkor Wat in time for Suryavarman's
death. (Mannikka,
1996)
The word
“angkor” translates to English as “town”, “thom” translates to “town”, and
“wat” literally translates to a pagoda.
Therefore, Angkor Wat can be characterized as the royal temple of its
host city, Angkor Thom. (Fujioka, Tsunenari & Mori, 1972) The influence of
the pagoda upon ancient Khmer architecture can be traced from farther east in
China. The tiered form of the pagoda is
representative of an religious ascension.
As a visitor climbs the levels of the building, they also embark upon an
upward journey of the soul. The pagoda
itself is, just as many other elements of the Khmer civilization, was an
interpretation of the Indian stupa. A
stupa is a domed structure representative of the Great Buddha himself.
(Stratton, 2000)
Few
descriptions of Angkor Wat are as poetic as that of the architect from the
eleventh century, Ramacandra Kaulacara.
About it, he stated:
He, the
creator (Visvakarman), lays out the plan of the universe according to measure
and number. This small universe (the temple) has to be situated with respect to
the vaster universe, of which it forms a part. It has to fall into line with
the position of the earth in relation to the course of the sun, and also the
movement of the planets. The layout of a temple is based on fundamental cosmic
and metaphysical conceptions that govern the whole structure. The situation of
the temple must, in its space directions, be established in relation to the
motion of the heavenly bodies. But inasmuch as it incorporates in a single
synthesis, the unequal courses of the sun, the moon, and the planets, it also
symbolizes all recurrent time sequences: the day, the month, the year.
(Mannikka, 1996)
Angkor
Wat has served the local people in so
many different ways throughout the years.
It is an awe inspiring religious monument for Hindus and Buddhists
alike. It has relatively recently become
a tourist draw. Without fail, since
antiquity, it has given the people of Cambodia more than they gave to create
it. In any creative practice, whether architecture
or any other artistic expression is examined, that is a true testament to the
success of one's efforts. Does it give
back? Angkor Wat has for centuries and continues to today.
References
Fujioka, M., Tsunenari, K., & Mori, C. (1972). Angkor wat. Tokyo: Kodansha
International.
Mannikka,
E. (1996). Angkor wat: Time, space, and
kingship. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Stratton,
E. (2000). The evolution of indian stupa
architecture in east asia. New Delhi: Vedams ebooks Pvt Ltd.
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