Throughout the Temples many surfaces are carved with images: dancing figures, praying figures, horses, tigers, wild monkeys, warriors, and all sorts of gods. Many of the finest carvings are at Angkor Wat and Bayon--literally miles of wall telling the story of creation (per the Hindu religion) and famous naval and land battles. There is one long stretch depicting heaven and hell: hell is alot wider and more detailed than heaven! Only a few images are of everyday life -- after all these were Temples for Kings/Gods so why muddy up things with ordinary activities!
A few of my favorite photos.
There is some speculation that the carvings had been covered in some sort of metallic finish but this is unsubstantiated. Also for a time the murals were painted over with red coloring (maybe when the Buddhists were in ascendancy) so that is still visible. And, pilgrims and tourists often reach out and touch the iconic figures leaving a shine to the stone.
 |
| Murals stretch around the outer walkway of the inner temple. On and On. |
 |
| A good guy -- head gear tells us (them?) that |
 |
| A Bad Guy -- see above |
 |
| Have you Danced Today? |
 |
| Have You Prayed Today? |
 |
| It is Good to Have a Friend |
 |
| Sanskrit inscription honors various deeds |
 |
| Famous Sarus Cranes on the Walls |
 |
| The King and Generals Ride Elephants in Battle; Parasols are like stars-- more is better. |
 |
| This shows folks from heaven sliding down to hell. Believe me there were some pretty tortured souls in hell. |
 |
| Believed to be an image of Jayavarman VII who died as Angkor Wat was being built. |
No comments:
Post a Comment