Bayon Temple of Cambodia

Hinduism and Buddhism both are reflected in the mysterious Bayon Temple of Cambodia which is a famous Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia.

This enigmatic temple was constructed around 1190 AD by the King Jayavarman VII as a worshipping location for Buddhist community but it has also some of the functions of Hindu cosmology.

Bayon Temple. Photo : Deddeeda

Bayon Temple represents the intersection of heaven and earth. It is believed that the Bayon Temple was created to serve as the primary locus of the royal cult and to serve as Jayavarman’s personal mausoleum. At that time, Angkor Thom was established as the new capital of Jayavarman’s state.

Bayon faces at the Bayon temple of Cambodia. Photo : Jonathan Lewis.

The most appealing part of the building of the Bayon Temple is the multitude of serene and huge stone faces on the several towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The mythological research is still going on amongst the historians to search for the exact resemblances of the 216 mystical faces. Most of them think it is the face of King Jayavarman VII or Avalokiteshvara.

Buddha Statue at the Temple of Bayon. Image : Dedeeda

Bayon Temple of Cambodia  is surrounded by two lengthy walls on which there are far more than 11,000 carved figures more than 1.2km of wall. Despite the fact that now most of the carvings have grow to be faded with the passage of time but they have been painted and gilded beautifully. The central sanctuary of the Bayon Temple is surrounded by a narrow corridor in the middle of which a massive statue of Buddha is erected.