teradesa.com Borobudur Temple is one of the wonders of the world that is the pride of Indonesia. Parallel to that in Cambodia there is also Angkor Wat which is included in the cultural wonders of the world.
Angkor Wat is not just a temple, but a source of culture and heritage of the Khmer people. Angkor Wat is currently a proud heritage of the Cambodian people.
History of Angkor Wat
Around 802, Raya Jayavarman II ascended the throne in the Angkor kingdom. For approximately 600 years under his leadership, the Angkor kingdom experienced glory that made the kingdom stretch from the Burmese border to the east, namely the South China Sea, and to the north, namely Laos.
Quoting the small history book Petite Histoire Indonesia Volume 4 by Rosihan Anwar (2010), it is explained that the history of Angkor Wat cannot be separated from the existence of the Angkor Kingdom. During the heyday of the Angkor kingdom, the Khmer kings could mobilize all the power to build the Angkor Wat temple.
During the heyday of the Angkor kingdom, the Angkor Wat temple was intended as a place of Hindu worship performed by Raya Suryawarman II, who was believed to be the reincarnation of the god Vishnu. But after the Angkor kingdom retreated, the function of Angkor Wat was as a Buddhist pilgrimage site.
In 1431, Angkor Wat was controlled by the Siamese army. However, at that time Angkor Wat did not function for anything, causing the temple to be covered by a forest of creeping plants, so the existence of Angkor Wat was not visible.
Finally, in 1860, a French archaeologist accidentally discovered the Angkor Wat temple that had been covered by a layer of soil and vegetation. From there, Angkor Wat was discovered and until today the building has gone through a series of restorations.
The construction of Angkor Wat is a sign that the capital of the Khmer Empire at that time was a civilized and comfortable city for people to live in. At that time, the Angkor area became the center of urbanization activities.
Unique Facts about Angkor Wat
French historian Denys Lombard wrote in his book entitled Le Carrefour Javanais (1990), the solidity of the geohistorical concept of Southeast Asia is because for almost a thousand years the heart of Java beats in harmony with the hearts of Angkor, Pagan, and Sukhothai.
There are similarities between Angkor and Java, namely Phnom Bakheng in the center of Angkor is a form of replica of the holy mountain, the palace located in the center of Majapahit city. Both buildings are thought to have the same role.
Angkor Wat and its surroundings as they look today are not far removed from the way they were discovered by Henri Mouhot in 1861. It took about 30 years to build Angkor Wat with the same amount of stone as the Cheops pyramid in Egypt.
To date, Angkor Wat is the largest and grandest temple in Cambodia. The area of the Angkor Wat complex is about 200 hectares. The main temple of Angkor Wat is about 65 meters high and surrounded by hundreds of smaller temples.
When viewed, Angkor Wat has similarities with Prambanan temple in terms of architecture. While in terms of relief, Angkor temple has similarities with Borobudur temple.
