The Bangkok Airways flight from Bangkok to Siem Rep ( 200 miles north of Phnom Penh in Cambodia) was filled to capacity – mainly with foreigners from US. As the plane descended towards Siem Rep , the thrill inside the plane was palpable. The terrain below was flat with red clay sand.
Small huts were seen here and there; water buffaloes were gracing the green pasture lands; puddles of water were seen everywhere. Then from the right side of the plane rose the glorious and majestic Angkor Watt; it shone golden by the reflection of the early morning sun. It looked so peaceful and serene . People inside the plane were speechless,
mesmerized by the beauty of this stunning monument. . As you were appreciating the beauty of Angkor watt, you feel a bump inside the plane, indicating that it had indeed landed in Siem Rep.

KAMBUJA ( CAMBODIA) - EARLY HISTORY:

Kampuchea, Cambodia, Khmer and Angkor are all names associated with a single civilization renowned for its art and architecture. Kambujadesa or Kambuja is a Sanskrit name for the modern Cambodia. It is believed that the word had derived from a North Indian tribe and is associated with Kambu Svayambhuva , legendary founder of Khmer civilization. The
name Angkor is from a Sanskrit word nagara (Holy City). The Khmer Empire remained in the vicinity of Angkor for over 500 years.
Evidence suggests that during the 1st century AD there was trading between Bay of Bengal to western coast of Malay Peninsula. Chinese records from the third century indicate about an Indianized settlement - Funana- in Cambodia in the third century AD. It describes - similar story is recounted in Sanskrit and Khmer inscriptions – about a marriage between
a foreigner from India who was either a Brahmin or a King of Cholas, and a daughter of the naga king, who inhabited the waters and ruled over the soil.

However, the generally accepted dates for the Angkor period is from 802 to 1432. It began when Jaywarman II conducted a ritual that installed him as the universal monarch and ended with the relocation of the Khmers from Angkor to Phnom Penh in 1434. It is believed that Jaywarman was held captive at the court of the much more powerful Sailendra dynasty in Java of Indonesia - Sailendras were Buddhists who built the magnificent monument at Borobudur in central Java. Upon returning from Indonesia,
he unified the Khmer nation, and declared independence from Indonesia, thus beginning the glorious period of Angkor.

Suryawarman II took the throne around 1113 and ruled until 1150. He was the most brilliant Khmer rulers and it was he who built Angkor Watt. However by 1175, Threvada Buddhism was spreading fast in the Cambodia – due to the strong influence from neighboring Siam(Thailand) - and by 1200, the rulers of Khmer nation had converted in to Buddhism, thus the people and the nation. The Hindu temples and monuments that were built during the Hindu period was not destroyed , but converted in to
Buddhist temples; statues of Lords Shiva and Vishnu were replaced with Lord Buddha.

By the 14th century, the biggest threat to Khmer nation came from Siam (Thailand) . Sukothai - considered a national hero in Thailand , invaded and plundered Angkor of its precious architecture many times. Due close proximity of Angkor to their perpetual enemy - Thailand - the rulers of the Angkor , shifted their capitol from Angkor to the present Phnom
Penh in the late 15th century. For the next four centuries Angkor watt remained in ruins covered by gigantic tress and bushes. It was only in the early 20th century it was accidentally discovered by a group of French explorers.

LOOTING OF THE ANGKOR :

Angkor complex has many Hindu and Buddhists temples and monuments of which Angkor Watt is the largest and the most famous . In the 13th century a wave of Hindu iconoclastic fervor led to the destruction of all Buddhist images. Most of the plundering came from the Siamese ( Thailand) in the 15th century who carried away most of the cultural treasures .
However, the most notorious planned expedition looting in the early 20th century involved Andre Malraux – who would later become France's cultural affairs minister of De Gaulle cabinet. He and his accomplices removed large sections of the temple and shipped them out of the country. He was later arrested and tried.During the Vietnam war, American jets bombed Angkor Watt. Cambodians swear that there were no insurgents at Angkor Watt. Yet, the Americans pilots knowing that this was not only a national but world monument bombed it. Fortunately, only minor damage was done . My driver would recall
this incident -with some anger- as a cultural terrorism on the part of the Americans.

In the eighties, the Pol Pot's men vandalized Agnkor complex systemically. Beautiful stone carvings had been ripped apart from the temple walls and sold for a song in the antique market of near by countries. My guide- who was a former high ranking Khmer rouge member – told me about the systemic looting and how they survived in Angkor , mostly on monkey meat.

ANGKOR WATT:

Angkor watt is the largest monument of the Angkor complex - there are several other Hindu and Buddhist temples and monuments in the Angkor complex. It lies about 4 four miles north of the main town of Siem Reap. It was built in the first half of the 12th century (approximately 1113-50) by Suryavarman II . He dedicated the temple to Lord Vishnu.

Watt is Thai name for temple, which must have been added on to Angkor when it became a Threvada Buddhist monument, probably in the 16th century. It is believed that Divakarapandita , the chief adviser to the king, who was a Brahmin, designed Angkor Watt. The estimated time for the construction of the temple is about 30 years. It has been debated whether Angkor Watt was built as a temple or as a tomb. Though the architecture of the Angkor points to a temple, its orientation – the main entrance is west - points that it was built as a tomb.

The complexity and beauty of Angkor Watt can be appreciated only when its is seen personally . From a distance, it appears to be a colossal mass of stone, but on a close look, it is a series of elevated towers, covered galleries, courtyards .

Angkor watt is an immense monument, occupying a rectangular area of about 500 acres, defined by a laterite, which is surrounded by a moat that is 600 feet wide. The reflection of the entire temple on the water of the moat during the evening is a breathtaking experience. Angkor watt is 213 feet tall, achieved by using three rectangular or square platforms.
Each platform is progressively smaller and higher than the one below. At the third level, the platform supports five towers – four at the corners and one in the middle. The ingenious plan allows a view of all five towers only from certain angles. The overall profile imitates a lotus bud. Angkor watt temple is most famous for its Bas-reliefs. The Bas - reliefs surround the first level of the temple. The reliefs covers the innermost wall of the first level on all four sides, and covers 12,900 square feet of brilliant sandstone carvings. It extends seven feet from top to bottom. The Bas- reliefs on the western gallery depicts the story of
battle of Mahabharata ; south gallery depicts the army of Suryavarma; East gallery portrays the story of churning the Ocean milk; West Gallery portrays the story of battle of Lanka- Ramayana. The exquisite and intricate sand stone carvings points to the rich heritage of the Khmer civilization.

All the Bas –reliefs are dazzling rich sand stone carvings on the wall. You can spend days – if not weeks- just marveling at the rich artwork and the ingenuity of the sculptors who created these master pieces about one thousand years ago. To me, Angkor Watt was more magnificent and majestic than Taj Mahal. Among the Bas –reliefs, the churning of the ocean
of milk – the Hindu mythical story of Devas and Asuras churning the ocean to obtain the immortal nectar – is simply breathtaking. You are simply stunned and paralyzed when you look at these gorgeous master
works. It is best to see Angkor Watt at sunset.

REPLACING LORD VISHNU WITH LORD BUDDHA:

If there is one disappointment with Angkor Watt, that is seen as you come to the top level. The top level has five towers , four at
corners and one in the middle , which is considered the sanctum sanctorum. I have no doubt the middle tower had the most beautiful statute of Lord Vishnu at the time the temple was built. However, with the Khmer rulers adapting to Buddhism, Angkor Watt was taken over by the Buddhist priests, and they replaced Lord Vishnu with Lord Buddha . Today, there are three
gigantic Lord Buddha statues inside the sanctum sanctorum. I have nothing against Lord Buddha- whom I consider one of the greatest spiritual souls to be born . However, the whole beauty of the Sanctum sanctorum disappears with the Buddha statues inside. Lord Buddha looks out of place there. This was not built as a Buddhist temple. I believe they should
have left Angkor Watt as it was meant to be- a Hindu monument.

In the Angkor complex, Angkor watt is not the only place to be visited. The are many other temples – both Hindu and Buddhist. Some of the famous are 1) Angkor Thom- another masterpiece Buddhist monument 2) Baphoun – Hindu temple dedicated to Siva 3) Bayon- Buddhist.

CAMBODIANS : MORE INDIAN THAN MONGOLOID FEATURES

Cambodians are very easy going and hospitable people . They have more Indian than the Mongoloid features. It is a country that has been vandalized by many powers- in the ancient times by the Siamese , then by the French, followed by Khmer rouge, and recently by the Vietnamese. Every Cambodian has a personal story about Khmer rouge (Pol Pot). My driver's
entire family (five of them) were murdered one night, when Khmer rouge men smashed their skulls with a hammer against a rock. The Driver- who was eight old at that time- was taken out of the house by his aunt just
before the men arrived . My guide took me to a Buddhist temple one evening. At the entrance, there was this huge glass cage. Inside the cage were hundreds of human skulls. The guide became very silent and started crying. Within sobs, he told me that his father's skull was one of them.

The latest aggressor of Cambodia was Vietnam. Like Eelam welcoming the IPKF in the initial stages, the Cambodians were happy that Vietnamese were there to protect them from Khmer rouge. However, within months they were behaving worse than the Khmer rouge – killing and raping Cambodians. Due to UN intervention, Vietnamese were asked to leave, and some
form of civilian administration has been restored. However, resentment against the Vietnamese runs very deep among the Cambodians even today. The current Prime Minister, Sen, was a right hand man to Pol pot. He later broke away from Pol Pot.

TARVEL TO ANGKOR

There are several flight from Bangkok to Siem Rep (on Bangkok Airways , and takes about an hour) . Siem Rep is about 4 miles south of Angkor . Silk air- subsidiary of Singapore Airline - flies directly from Singapore to Siem Rep. One could also reach Siem Rep from Phnom Phen- takes about one hour. There are excellent hotels in Siem Rep , the prices
ranging from $20 to $200. You could book your hotels through the internet . The Cambodian embassy in US has a web site that gives you good information - though they do not reply your E-mails. Visas are issued upon arrival at the airport for citizens of most countries- including the US. You need $20 and two passport size photos. You can rent a car for about $ 20 / day. An English speaking guide would cost about $20/Day – strongly recommended. Food is very cheap in Siem - excellent Chinese food would cost about $1. You need about two days to see most of the temples in the Angkor complex.