The Lost Splendors of Angkor — Bayon
I start climbing the crumbling steps, my heart thumping. I have heard so much about this place. It has haunted my dreams, since I had stumbled upon a picture of this magnificent place in the annals of a book dedicated to photography. It has since been my desire to visit the place where the Gods have been given a pedestal so grand that only few other wonders in the world can outshadow its splendour.
I can’t wait, climbing the superbly cut stone steps, while beautiful Apsaras smile at me understandingly. Stumbling occasionally, I reach the top of the temple.
A massive face greets me with a serene smile.
I distinctly remember my journey towards Bayon after visiting the other grand temples in Siem Reap, the Angkor Wat and the Angkor Thom. I had a feeling I had seen the best of what the Angkor ruins has to offer. Until, the tuk-tuk which I was riding turned a corner and I saw something which took my breath away.
Bayon.
As described by the Angkor-scholar Maurice Glaize, the Bayon appears “as but a muddle of stones, a sort of moving chaos assaulting the sky.”
Just like the other great temples of Angkor, Bayon holds a special place in my heart. If there is one phrase to describe the place, it would be — divine chaos. Just looking at the majestic structure makes you doubt if it wasn’t a figment of your imagination.
According to history, the complex Bayon structure was an outcome of several architectural changes. It’s control flowing through the grasp of Hindu rulers in the early Khmer dynasty to the later Buddhist kings. The later rulers found Bayon to be so structurally solid that instead of removing it, they had remodeled Bayon itself to suit their needs for it to become their state temple. This adds to its distinct peculiarity.
While the outer walls exude turbulence, the inner sanctum offers a kind of serenity. Carefully sculpted dancing figures greet you with their artistic poses and grace.
The blend of Hindu and Buddhist styles of architecture add to the enigma of this breathtakingly beautiful place.
One cannot help but marvel at the care with which the temple has been built. The great attention to detail.
Adorned with carefully carved bas-reliefs depicting the Khmer dynasty in great detail, these walls give a glimpse into the lives of the civilization which has undoubtedly built the greatest tribute to the Hindu gods on this planet.
Breathing in the cold damp air, as you make your way around the marvelously decorated pillars gives you the marvelous feeling of breathing in history itself.
Perhaps the best place of Bayon is its terrace, where 200 serene faces greet you with a knowing smile. The whole setting, with the golden rays of the sinking sun hitting the crumbling stones which make up these faces, give you a feeling of being a part of something grand.
Grander than the world I had known before I had visited Siem Reap.
As I walk across the path that leads me out of the temple complex towards the waiting tuk-tuk, I look back and steal one last glance at the magnificent ruins.
Promising myself that I will be back again.
The Lost Splendors of Angkor is a series covering the grandest temples from the Angkor ruins during my visit to Siem Riep.
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Love,
Kushaal
