Temples in Cambodia

In Cambodia temples were planned to symbolize the cosmic Mt. Meru. These were the home of the gods of Indian cosmology. Most of them were surrounded by oceans. The literal meaning of Angkor is ‘city’ or ‘capital’ and the Wat means ‘temple’.

It is known to all that Angkor Wat is the most famous and largest temple. It is also regarded as the architectural masterpieces of Cambodia. Most probably Angkor Wat is the largest religious building on the whole earth.

Angkor Wat was conceived by Suryavarman II. More or less thirty years was its estimated building time. In that era it is generally considered to have been a funeral temple for the king or the members of the Royal family. It has been occupied by monks on constant basis and also is well preserved by them.

The four sided of Angkor Wat are surrounded by intricate bas reliefs. Each of them tells a different story. Out of which the most celebrated one can be mentioned as “The Churning of the Ocean of Milk”. This is located on the east wing.

The central sanctuary of the Angkor Wat temple complex represents Mt. Meru. Here the five towers symbolize Meru’s five peaks. The enclosing wall of the temple represents the mountains at the edge of the world while the surrounding moat represents the ocean beyond.

On the Cambodian flag the symmetrical towers of Angkor Wat are stylized. Over a period of time this has become a symbol of Khmer culture.

Cambodian language:

Khmer is the official Cambodian language. This is a part of the Mon-Khmer family. This language is improved by the Indian Sanskrit and Pali languages and is always influenced by French and Thai. Some of the hilly tribes of Vietnam, Laos and Malayasia speak a typical language and this is related to Khmer. In present days the younger generation is learning English.