Angkor Wat is a Hindu shrine turned Buddhist temple, which has been named the eighth wonder of the world.
Located in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Angkor Wat has taken the unofficial spot of the eighth wonder of the world, which was previously occupied by Pompeii in Italy.
Let us find out more about this architectural marvel which holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest religious structure in the world.
History of Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat was built under King Suryavarman II of the Khmer Empire between the years 1116 CE and 1150 CE. Initially, it was designed as a Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu but was converted to a Buddhist temple by the end of the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII of the Chams.
The Chams were traditional enemies of Khmer. After they sacked the temple, it was converted to a Buddhist site in honour of the King’s wife Indratevi, who was a Mahayana Buddhist who convinced her husband to convert to Buddhism.
The word ‘Angkor’ means capital city and ‘Wat’ means temple in the Khmer language. The temple served as the capital of the Khmer Empire.
Over the centuries, the temple has suffered significant damage from earthquakes, overgrown vegetation, and countless wars.
The French, who ruled Cambodia from 1863 to 1949, tried to restore the site for tourism in the early 1900s.
During Cambodia’s civil war in the 1970s under the brutal Khmer Rouge Led by Pol Pot, Angkor Wat sustained minimal damage. The current government is doing its best to maintain the site after it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.
Architecture of Angkor Wat
The central tower represents Mount Meru, a sacred peak where gods reside in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain cosmology. It has five stone towers that represent the five peaks of Mount Meru.
The galleries, empty spaces, and the moat surrounding the temple are representations of mountain ranges and oceans around Mount Meru.
The site is entirely built out of stone and is decorated with beautiful engravings carved into its walls by skilled artisans of that time.
Angkor Wat today
These days Angkor Wat is a site for tourism with over 5 lakh tourists visiting every year, who consider it a peaceful and spiritual place. It is also an important source of national pride for Cambodians.
