Can you believe, the 7th wonder of the world was constructed in a single night by a divine architect? Yes according to the 13th century Chinese traveler “Daguan Zhou”, it is true. “Angkor-Wat”, “The City Of Temples”, the largest religious monument of the world, is a historical mystery being the 7th wonder of the world. Some said it’s a “Hindu” temple, some claimed it as a “Buddhist” temple. “Angkor-Wat”, the pride of “Cambodia”, the glorious gift from the “Khmer Empire”, the symbol of Cambodia’s national flag, gives a spiritual calling to all the world travelers, to all the history lovers, to all the human beings who love the perfect creation of beauty.
According the veins of history, it’s been said that the temple was built by the “Khmer King Suryavarman II” in the early 12th century in “Yasodharapura”, the capital of the “Khmer Empire”, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. This temple was dedicated to “Hindu Lord Vishnu”. Stretching over some 400 square kilometres, the temple is at the top of the high classical style of “Khmerarchitecture” which got major influence from “Kalinga” architectural style. Later, in the late 13th century, “Angkor-Wat” gradually moved from “Hindu” to “Theravada Buddhist” use, which continues to the present day. The temples can broadly be categorized into four groups: Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, Little Circuit, Big Circuit, Roluos group, Outlying temples. “Angkor Archaeological Park” was declared a “UNESCO World Heritage site” in 1992. At the same time, it was also placed on the “List of World Heritage in Danger” due to looting, a declining water table, and unsustainable tourism.
One of the first Western visitors to the temple was “António da Madalena”, a “Portuguese” monk who visited in 1586 and said that it “is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of.” In the mid-19th century the temple was visited by the French naturalist and explorer, “Henri Mouhot”, who popularised the site in the West through the publication of travel notes, in which he wrote, “One of these temples, a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo, might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged.”Accordingto“MauriceGlaize”, a mid-20th-century conservator of Angkor, the temple “attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity and style.”
Well, I should tell my feelings too regarding my first visit to this remarkable wonder of world. Before I headed to this Temple City, I did quite a long research about this Historical wonder, to understand and cherish the ancient curves and ruins, when I would be there. I attended few travel-lectures about “Angkor-Wat” with the previous visitors from all around the world, while I was in “Thailand”. When, I was there it was a late December, the weather was pretty clear and cool. I didn’t have to feel to sweaty nature of Cambodia’s weather. Me and my friend hired a Tuk-Tuk from our guesthouse to visit the temple. We reached there at 11 am, which is so called a perfect time to visit this temple. I was so excited to see the 7th wonder of world, and when it came in front of me it was really a wonder that I couldn’t believe. It was like a fairy dream to me to see the perfection of architecture of ancient century. Where the inner walls of the temple show the fabulous portraits of Hindu epics, “The Ramayana” and “The Mahabharata”, there the outer architecture of temple explains the purity and perfection of dedication towards the religion and art, which is quite comparable with the architecture of ancient “Greece and Rome”. It was such a wonder of my mind, which still stands as a wonder, I can’t believe. Making a huge architecture like “Angkor-Wat”, was not only an impossible fact in that ancient time, but also a matter of beyond imagination. It explains the “Golden Era of Hinduism”. Really, it might be built by divine power, I must say to myself. I met few Buddhist child monks in the temple area, by whom I got more influences to feel the veins of this temple through my traveller blood.
Well, my travel friends, whatever it is, we should take it as a gift from “God” or “The Eternal Power” and value the feelings of this creation. Every single year millions of tourist visits this wonder. I hope you all will visit it someday. It is 20 minutes away from central “Siem Reap”. You can get tourist buses, Tuk-Tuk, motorbike taxi from anywhere of “Siem Reap” to visit this temple. Hiring a bi-cycle, is a classic way to visit the temple area.Well, there are some superstar ways to visit “Angkor-Wat”. One of them is the Helicopter riding. You can hire 8 mins Helicopter ride with approx 90$ for seeing Bangkeng Mountain, Angkor Wat. Sras Srang, Pre Rup, Eastern Mebon & Ta Som. Else, you can ride 6-10 mins in the fantastic “Hot-air Balloon” in sun-rise time and visit “Angkor-Wat”. The most cheap and affordable travel packages for “Siem Reap” and “Angkor-Wat” are sold from Khaosan Road, Bangkok (Thailand).After all this long discussion I want to say you one thing, “Visit Angkor-Wat, atleast once in a lifetime and feel the power of religion”.
