In the 12th century the capital of the Khmer Empire was the city called Angkor Thom, which was built just north of Angkor Wat. King Jayavarman VII had it designed much like the complex at Angkor Wat – a huge rectangular area aligned with the cardinal points, surrounded by a moat, with a temple at the center constructed to represent the mythical Mount Meru.
There were four gates (each facing a cardinal point, of course) through which to enter the city walls. Spanning the moat were four corresponding bridges lined with stone carved divinities that depict an ancient Hindu legend. Each of these figures was carved with completely unique facial features, too! “Devas” (benevolent divinities) flank the left side of the bridges, while “Asuras” (malevolent divinities) flank the right. As in the legend, each line of figures holds a great serpent’s torso. The Hindu legend tells that the Devas & Asuras pulled alternately at a serpent, coiled around a mountain, in order to churn the “sea of milk”. …..still don’t know what the whole “sea of milk” thing is about! It’s a Hindu thing : p….
The central temple of Angkor Thom was the official state temple, now called Bayon Temple. On the temple’s upper level, fifty four stone towers are arranged about many carving-covered hallways & colonnades. The towers rise toward the center, once again representing the peaks of Mount Meru. Since King Jayavarman VII was a Mahayana Buddhist, each tower features the four faces of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (the Bodhisattva of Compassion). Interestingly, they say the faces bear a striking resemblance to the king himself!
