Five special sights in Angkor Thom, Cambodia

There is a certain allure about Angkor Thom that words cannot explain. Tall trees gracing the sky, ponds reflecting the dense canopy, leaves littered on the ground, and monuments peeping from behind rugged branches, little children doing their homework on ancient stone benches, colourful tuk-tuks bringing in tourists. Angkor Thom is an experience that has to felt. I spent more time in Angkor Thom than in Angkor Wat and made it a point to visit again on the last day before I left Cambodia.

Angkor Thom is not a temple. It is actually a capital city of the Khmers that was built in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII and remained so for another 400 years. It was the largest city built then, covering about 9 sq km.  Even today, you need to spend at least a day here to explore all the monuments. And if you are wondering where to begin, here is a ready reckoner for some of the monuments here.

1. The South Gate

The South Gate is the main gateway for tourists entering Angkor Thom. Do not be surprised as there might even be a traffic jam of tuk-tuks right at the entrance. I was lucky as I came here rather early in the day and had the road to myself.

A row of devas and asuras stand at the entrance, some of them dragging a seven-hooded snake. It is probably a reference to the legend of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk and these statues line the bridge while water flows in the moat below. I saw kids jumping in to play while a lone boat stood somewhere between the trees. The gate is massive with four faces standing atop the tower, each representing a cardinal direction. There are five gates to the old city – North, South, East, West and the Victory Gate. The other gates seem virtually deserted and even the heads of the statues seem to have disappeared in some of them.

2. Bayon

If you have time for just one temple in Angkor Thom, it has to be the 800-year-old Bayon. As soon as you enter this monument, more than 200 faces look at you in every direction from atop 40-odd towers of this state temple built by King Jayavarman VII. But before that, do not miss the bas-reliefs here depicting the war between the Khmers and the Chams or the social life of the local people during that period. Bayon was initially built as a Buddhist temple but the kings later embraced Hinduism and you can see carvings of deities and stories from Hindu mythology.

3. Bapuon

Bapuon is probably older than both Bayon and the city of Angkor Thom. It was built in the 11th century by King Udayadityavarman II in his capital Yashodarapura, a town that has merged with Angkor Thom today. It is referred to as the mountain temple for its sheer size. It was being restored when I visited and hence we could not see most of it. The temple is shaped like a five-tiered pyramid and although we were not able to enter some parts of it, we could see the bas-reliefs that depict stories from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha.

4. The Elephant Terrace and the Leper King Terrace

Although these are two different monuments, both these terraces are adjacent to each other near the Royal Square and were probably built during King Jayavarman VII’s reign. They were used by the royalty as pavilions and are rich in carvings. The staircase of Elephant Terrace is flanked by pillars carved with elephants while one can see images of mythical lions and serpents. The Leper King Terrace is filled with bas-reliefs and is so named after a legend that one of the kings used to be referred to as Leper King.

5. Phimeanakas and the Royal palace

It was like a walk through a dense forest as we walked around the trees looking for the old palaces and temples. I found this old sanctuary surrounded by trees and ponds referred to as the Temple of Phimeanakas. Nothing remains today of the palace, even older than Angkor Thom, which was built there. The site of the royal palace probably dated to the 11th century and several excavations have been carried out. I visited the Phimeanakas, almost hesitated to climb the laterite pyramid lest the steps give way. Legends say that one of the kings used to live with a woman here, who was believed to have been a snake and had wielded power over him. As I walked around, there was a not a soul here, only monuments in various stages of ruin and restoration buried by the branches of the trees.

Although these are the key monuments in Angkor Thom, you can explore the site if you have time and energy. There are four sandstone temples called Prasat Chrung, Tep Pranam where a large Buddha is seated, Preah Pallilay, another small shrine which was being restored when I visited, Preah Pithu, a group of five temples, the twelve Suor Prat Towers and the incomplete Khleangs. Or you can just walk around the forest, lose yourself in the woods, as the tall trees embrace you and meet locals who will sell you anything and everything for just one US dollar.