The Visit - Day 1

The visit
It just happened. There was a holiday fair going at Singapore Expo, which is near our workplace and on my way to home. I just stepped in and was looking around for the holiday options. I had a few spots in my mind to look for. Bali (Indonesia), Angkor (Cambodia) and Myanmar. On the first stall itself I found Angkor package (3D/2N return airfare + hotel) and seemed to be much cheaper than what the travel agencies were quoting. Booked it immediately. I was afraid I might decide otherwise if I think about anymore Then I searched the net and booked a taxi driver-cum-guide in Siem Reap thru mails. (http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia.htm is an intersting site) Visas can be obtained on arrival at the Siem Reap international airport. But the Cambodian government has recently started issuing e-visas thru the net. It takes just 2 days to get approval. It costs 25USD per head and it can be paid thru credit card over the net. I booked it on a friday night and I got it approved the next morning. I just had to carry the printouts. [An important note to visitors. While there is a local currency Riel (1 USD = 4000 Riel), most of the transactions are in USD only. Including petty shops. Everything is quoted in USD. We can either pay in USD or Riels.]
And the day came. The Silk Air from Singapore flew us (myself, my wife and my daughter who is an year and a half old) to Siem Reap, the second major city in Cambodia. The flying time is just 2 hours. (The other major city is Phnom Penh, the capital city) We reached there at around 10 AM local time. Nov - Feb is the peak tourist season in Cambodia. So, there was a long queue at the visa-on-arrival desk but the e-visa counter was free and we were out in 5 minutes with our baggage. The taxi driver I’d booked thru mail was there to pick us up to the hotel. Our tour guide had already prepared a comprehensive itinerary to cover the near temples and the far away temples. The temples date between 2nd and 12th centuries and have been built by various Hindu kings. Most of the temples, mainly the Angkor Wat complex, have been built by Jayavarman VII. While previous kings have just built temples, Jayavarman VII has built tanks, hospitals, educational institutions also. Even now the general hospital is named after him.
Day 1:We checked in and we started right away. On day one we visited Prasat Kravan, Sras Sreng, Beantey Kdei, Ta Keo and Ta Prohm. Most of the temples are in dilapidated condition. The very architecture is to be blamed. The structures are large blocks of redstones stacked one over the other and built. Some birds carry and leave the seeds of (mostly banyan) trees in the gaps between the stones. These have now grown in to GIANT trees and the HUGE roots have ripped apart the structures. In most places, the entire structure has fallen down and one could see only the rumbles. It is pathetic. Every pillar in every temple is decorated with bas relief sculptures of dancing apsaras, scenes depicting the “great departure of Buddha”. One could also see the sculptures of “dwarapalaks” (the doorkeepers or guards) on either side of the entrance of sanctum-sanctorum. There are images of “yali” (a mythical animal) and Indra riding the Irawat (the triple headed elephant) sculpted on the door frames. The naga “Vasuki” (who was used as rope to churn the “sea of milk” to extract the elixir of immortality) is an important aspect in every temple. All balustrades (railings) in the pathways, stairs in the temples have their ends in the shape of the naga. This can be seen even at the homes, the railings on the bridges on the rivers etc. Another common aspect is the steps that lead to the temples. The steps are too narrow and too steep. The gradience is almost 80 degrees. The height to width ratio is like 3:1. So it is quite difficult to climb up the stairs. The ruins add to the difficulty. Climbing is at our own risk. I did some dangerous climbings at Ta Keo with my camera and camcorder around my neck.
Prasat Kravan : Once a temple for Vishnu and Lakshmi. No statue are found now.
Sras Sreng : A large square water tank with terraces and steps around the tank. Just like our Mylapore tank.
Beantey Kdei : ‘Beantey’ in Pali language means “a worshipping place”. This seems to be Shiva temple centuries back beacause I saw lots of sandstone platforms with “dhara” (beak) but no “lingam”. The towers (gopurams) are in the shape of “brahma” with 4 faces facing 4 sides and with a lotus (padmam) platform on top. This type of towers are found in almost every temple.
Ta Keo : This is actually struture built for the worship of ancestors. This proves that the people were following “animism”, a primitive form of religion before religions came to existence.
Ta Prohm : A temple for Brahma. I think this should have been the most photographed place after Angkor Wat. The giant roots have ruined the temple.
See the pics attached.
Many countries like Germany, France and India have taken up the restoration of some structures. Some historians from France and Germany have restored some temples in their personal interest. Almost every temple was built for either Shiva or Vishnu (localites call it as Vishnou). But all the statues have been replaced by Buddha. Even these statues dont have heads. It seems during the civila unrest (1975-79) miscreants and treasure hunters have taken away the heads of the statues and are now available in the museums in Europe, UK and the US.
In the evening, the guide took us to a restaurent, where every night a cultural dance show performed by local dancers. The show consists of traditional Apsaras dance, monkey dance, coconut shell dance and blessing dance. It was really nice. There are quite a few Indian restaurents (actually owned by Pakistanis !!) like New Delhi, Taj Mahal, Maharajah etc. The food was excellent (authentic punjabi dishes).
Day 2 in next blog.

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