Siem Reap to KL

A vibrant civilization which had lasted more than a thousand years had lain hidden in the almost impenetrable jungles of Cambodia for over 500 years before the French naturalist Henri Mohout literally stumbled upon the enormous ruins of the legendary capital of the Khmer Empire and we were finally on our way to perhaps the most unforgettable part of the trip. 

Siem Reap, Cambodia, was on a different level altogether.  The broad roads, the regular familiar shops juxtaposed with big hotels and splendid X-mas decorations geared to the tourists (after all the driving force of Siem Reap is its tourist economy – interestingly only US$ is the accepted currency here).  That is the first but not the last or lasting impression of this city which boasts of a conglomeration of temples like no other.

Our tourist guide Rey was a treasure trove of information regarding Khmer and Hindu history and mythology.  Angkor Wat’s golden age could be traced between the 10th and 13th centuries when it was the most powerful and opulent empire in SE Asia.  It was the consistent capital of the powerful Khmer empire (9th to15th century) till the center of gravity moved to Phenom Penh in the 15th to 16th centuries.  The architecture here serves as evidence of the strong Khmer religious beliefs – a welcome overlapping and coexistence of Hinduism and Buddhism.  Hinduism was the religion of most Khmer kings altho ’later most Hindu temples were transformed into Buddhist sanctuaries.  Legend and some written sources attribute the introduction and the spread of Hinduism not only to trade between the 2 countries but to Kaundinya,  a Brahmin of Indian origin who is said to have married a local princess and begun the royal line.

The Angkor complex consists of about 200 monuments spread over an area of about 400 sq. meters and Angkor Wat is the most well known and largest temple.  One cannot but marvel at the finest and best preserved carvings.  Impressive entrance gateways richly ornate with faces, the 3-tiered or 5-tiered pyramid like monuments, the impressive towers, wide moats (many of them more than a kilometer wide) temporarily bridged at some places with narrow earthen embankments making walking precarious on narrow planks laid down (I was especially panic stricken during one such crossing), long walls, galleries connecting different levels of the temple, intricately carved panels, enclosures where ritual dances were probably performed, terraces, steps – which in many places were merely uneven stones or  recently placed wooden ladder like planks –  seemingly insurmountable. I would freeze at the thought of putting my feet on them, but Ashwin and Aruna had the confidence and will power that I lacked. ‘You can do it Amma’ and out stretched hands helped me thaw every time!  Walking gingerly from one level to another, negotiating bricks and stones, clutching the balustrade or railing when there was one and walking side ways on the narrow stairs(being  a cancerian helped, perhaps?!). Sounds breathless? Was so too!  Words do not suffice to express the huffing and the puffing that seemed to overtake normal breathing.  But on reaching the top level one feels like a conquerer of the world.  It is an overwhelming emotion of joy and achievement that wipes out the earlier sweat and dread.  Of course now, at several places, wooden steps have been placed to help tourists negotiate the steep climb.

The great Vaishnavite temple of Angkor Wat is supposedly the most beautiful of all Khmer monuments.  The State temple is surrounded by a moat almost 25 meters wide and occupies an area of 1500 meters by 1300 meters.  To get to the actual pyramid one has to follow a raised causeway bordered by Naga balustrades.  Three terraces support the tower sanctuaries and are flanked by galleries. A massive statue of an eight armed standing Vishnu greets us after we climb the steps on one side.  The temple is supposed to have been originally dedicated to Vishnu who is still an object of reverence and veneration, an important guardian spirit to Cambodians. Vishnu and by association the king, is exalted here. 

Further on, one can admire huge panels depicting specific scenes from the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata – Krishna killing Kamsa, Jarasandha being killed by Bheema with Krishna watching from the sidelines and Krishna lifting Govardhan Giri and sheltering  the cows.

One of the galleries here depicts the churning of the ocean of milk (ksheera  sagara  madhana), said to be the most famous scene at Angkor Wat.  In fact most of the causeways depict this scene with fierce faced Asuras on one side and benign Devas on the other.  Though somewhat damaged, the stone figures with Naga in their hands present an eerily recognisable spectacle.  Our guide showed the bullet marks, still noticeable, and told us that this temple was damaged during the infamous civil war/revolution where the loyalists and the revolutionaries fought a bitter battle.

The 3 tiered Bayon Temple is another master piece of Khmer architecture.  Between Angkor Wat and Bayon  in Angkor Thom is the well preserved South Gate, part of the long 12km wall of the town of Angkor Thom. 

As one approaches the 23 meter high gate one crosses a 100 meter causeway flanked on either side by 54 devas and 54 asuras pulling on a giant Naga /Vasuki(our guide emphasised that you shouldn’t call it a snake).  Some interpret these figures as guardians of the city – nagas symbolising water and treasure and therefore linked to prosperity. The other impressive statues are huge stone lions – it seems a lion represents the land/earth which is essential for human survival.  

Bayon, even with its 49 towers on the 2nd and 3rd level of the monument, is more compact than the sprawling Angkor Wat. 

 It seems that it once consisted of around 216 enigmatically smiling stone faces carved into 54 towers.  Today, the 37 towers that remain create an awe-inspiring impact.  The iconic and massive ‘’Face Towers’ have varied interpretations – Buddhist embodiment of compassion, love, wisdom and enlightenment, or a representation of Jayavarman VII, the king most intimately connected with Angkor Wat, and the  most famous and the most prolific builder of  temples, including  Bayon or images of Prohm, the Khmer pronunciation of Brahma.

The 4 faces on each tower are also sometimes perceived as the Hindu trinity and Buddha. Whatever the import of the faces, Brahmanic dieties or Buddhist divinities, the impact of this epic presence verging on the sublime, is such that it  makes one aware of one’s own ‘smallness’.The third tier of the temple affords the best vantage points to glimpse these magnificent faces. 

Coming face to face with these visages can be quite unsettling and humbling.

 
The bas reliefs and panels depicting battle scenes jostle for space alongside more commonplace vignettes of daily human life – hunting, fishing, cock fights, markets, festivals and more such domestic scenes. 

At Preah Khan, a temple dedicated to the king’s father, a causeway across a moat again depicts   bull-chested asuras  as well as devas pulling on a Naga. 


The outer wall of this temple is interestingly adorned all the way around with giant sandstone Garudas clutching Nagas in their talons.  The temple shares with Angkor Thom spectacular parapets formed by giants supporting the body of a naga across the moats  surrounding it.

A hall of dancers here is identified by carvings on the many columns that adorn the place,  I couldn’t resist  striking a pose – whether I did justice to the dance form or not is the least of my fears.

No words can do justice to the quality and design of the lintel carvings on the temple doorways.  Very lucid, the detail and the depth  elicits  gasps of appreciative wonder.  I particularly loved the carving that depicted Hanuman ready to give Rama’s Mudrika to a downcast Sita sitting under the ashoka tree. 

Ta Prohm temple is dedicated to King Jayavarman VII’s mother.  People mainly pass quickly round the temple to see the photogenic strangler fig growing on one of the gopuras and on the outside walls of the temple.  This temple was made famous, rather brought to the notice of the outside world, thanks to the Angelina Jolie movie ‘’The Tomb Raider’’.  The temple is left in its natural state – its appeal derives as much from the chaotic aspect of its ruins as from the oppressive vegetation smothering the buildings and the walls.

The Banteay Srei Temple, about 30 kms from Siem Reap town, was discovered in the depths of a forest. 

The temple is remarkable for its pink sand stone but more importantly for the exceptional virtuosity of its decoration and the delicacy of the work.  Both Shiva and Vishnu were worshipped here, albeit in different sanctuary towers. One of the most outstanding carvings here is that of the burning of the Khandawa forest with Arjuna and Krishna protecting Agni from Varuna.





Temple Carvings

Lintel carving of Naga

Lintel carving of Goddess Lakshmi

Narasimha Avatar



 
Another impressive one was the Sugriva-Vali fight. Precision and clarity seemed to have acquired a deeper definition courtesy these works of deft art.

Shaivism was almost always the state religion in this part of the world – hence the numerous lingas in the small and big temples. Indra also finds a pride of place and is usually shown astride his mount, the three headed elephant Airavata. Some of these depictions have gone beyond the country of their origin.

Lintel carving of Ravana trying to lift Mount Kailash

Outside these temples, families create and sell local handicrafts.  Work on cowhide and copper are very popular.  Once, as we moved on after an admiring glance at these, I was amused by young girls come running, point to my bindi and say ‘Give me Hindu’, ‘Give me India’.

Our guide had really enlightened us in the land of the Buddha. His commentary was riveting.  But Kuppu who also has an astounding knowledge of Indian mythology sometimes kept the guide himself rapt and wrapped round his fingers.  No wonder then that we thought we had 2 guides – one local and one imported from our own chikkadpally.

 Angkor Wat had turned out to be an exciting place with its regal majesty and calm repose.  It is heartening to note that several countries are involved in restoring the ruins without disturbing the environment and the original beauty – especially the hundreds of years old trees at Ta Prohm that grow around and into the temple walls.  The India- Cambodia   co-operation Project is going strong with artisans working on rebuilding the temples by numbering the boulders so as to put them back in the same order.  The French, Swiss and the Japanese Governments are also part of the restoration process.  I have to say cheers and long life to Angkor Wat and its exotic environs.

The temples had challenged and overwhelmed us physically, visually and at times emotionally.  But we couldn’t have left Seam Reap without taking a look at what was real and continuing history – history in motion –the rural Siem Reap.

On our way from one temple to another, we had seen locals working on rice fields, cow carts moving slowly but steadily with loads, buffaloes plodding around flooded rice paddies and land dotted with houses on stilts.  But our guide had something more unique in mind – a floating village, a village at the mouth of the Seam Reap river dating back to Angkor times.

It had rained heavily earlier and the path we traversed was muddy, slushy and slippery.  But hadn’t we got used to overcoming obstacles?  So we resolutely got onto the boat that would ferry us to our final destination in Seam Reap.  Lovely , extensive mangroves formed part of the riverscape.  These mangroves, intertwined in the waters, attract adventurous tourists to weave through this forest on boats.  We chanced upon other boats with tourists returning from the village before we sighted the same. Hundreds of houses built on stilts adjoining and abutting one another opened our eyes to an entirely new world.  The painful reality of the lives of the people here was palpable – 300 families live in these houses, we were told. It’s the only life they know and the women hardly venture out except to sell their wares to tourists like us.  In spite of the poor sanitary conditions and the poor quality of life, the inhabitants seemed to be happy with their lives – Dogs were running down the steps (man’s best friends, always!) wagging their tails, some children were playing foot ball wherever they could find some dry place near the shallow waters while some others were diving into the water from the steps.  Perhaps these children took to swimming before they took their first wobbly steps.  There is only one primary school, it seems, and we saw school girls returning home rowing  their own boat.

Men , whose primary vocation was catching fish would  sometimes stay days on waters to fill their fishing nets. The large lake where we stopped for a while to enjoy the invigorating breeze and feel at one with nature seemed limitless.    Our guide told us that the surface area of the lake increases from 2000 to 10000 square miles during the rainy season.     The nutrient rich water from this tributary of Mekong river which originates in Tibet floods the margins of the lake and the surrounding forest creating both a huge natural paddy field and a safe fish hatchery.  This largest fresh water lake in SE Asia supposedly ranks among the most productive fishing grounds in the world supporting the lives of millions of Khmers.

This touristy visit to a floating village whose inhabitants depend on  the water for all their needs was an emotional experience, an experience that tugged at our heart strings and was a fitting finale to our trip of a life time.

 Back from the Cambodian never-to-be forgotten trip, we decided to go sedate – not to be too ambitious.  Ashwin  & Aruna took off in a different direction as we decided to explore lesser known places where Preeti herself had not ventured.

The Independence Square, also called Mederka Square, is the venue for Malaysia’s annual Independence parade celebrations.  A big open space, it is a very well preserved heritage area.  Though at the centre of the city, it has a pristine quality to it.   

This is where the Union Jack was lowered and the Malaysian flag hoisted in 1957 to end the British colonisation.  The 100 meters high flagpole is the highest in the world and marks the place where the flag was first hoisted in 1957.  The buildings on one side of the square with arches and onion shaped domed pavilions are a spectacular example of Islamic culture.  Some of these buildings were Government Departments in the British era but now have been converted into museums and restaurants.
A typical British cricket Green and the accompanying pavilion remind one of the earlier English presence in the country.  It’s relaxing to just amble along the square with no vehicles to brake our leisurely movement and mood.  The Clock Tower is referred to as the Big Ben of KL.

We were just in time for an interesting exhibition which showcased the present and the future face of KL in the city gallery in the same area.  The scale model of the entire city was very impressive, especially when lit.  There were miniature models of famous buildings and we saw craftsmen doing the intricate work.  There was a souvenir shop and a restaurant where you could redeem your exhibition entry tickets to buy anything.  Since it was a very hot day we voted for refreshing coconut water.

The National Textile Museum was just a few steps away.  It displayed tie dye  fabrics as also the looms and material used in the process.  Malaysia is one of the leading producers of this fabric.

The  I   KL board right outside was a tempting photo spot.  With a little bit of coaxing, Preeti and I posed while Kuppu ‘shot’.  I have a sneaky suspicion that the inspiration for the   I   Hyd on our Eat Street came from here.

All these interesting sights were in one area and the best thing was that it was not packed with tourists.  The relaxed atmosphere was most welcome.  Preeti especially, was pleased as Punch because she had a ready-made itinerary for the next visiting bunch!!  We had carried out a dress rehearsal in a way!

It is always sad to say goodbyes but we carried back memories of a very happy stay.  KL has its own charm which needs to be savoured – and we did just that.

And finally, Preeti’s culinary and driving skills are not to be underrated.   We tasted one and tested the other!