Largest TEMPLE in the World: As per the Guinness World Records, “Angkor Wat” is the largest temple in the world. This is located in “Siem Reap” in “Cambodia”, a Southeast Asian nation. Angkor Wat is also an UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE since 1992.
Largest TEMPLE in the World
The temple is spread across a total area measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m2; 402 acres). It was constructed originally as a Hindu temple in the 12th Century for the Khmer empire by King Suryavarman II. This temple was dedicated to God Vishnu. It is also described as a “Hindu-Buddhist” because this temple was transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of 12th Century.
It was designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat more than 5 kilometres (3 mi) long and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. This temple is situated approximate 5.5 Kms towards North from the modern town of Siem Reap in Cambodia.
The largest temple in the world was completed in 28 years from 1122 to 1150 CE. This temple was constructed as per a request by a Brahmin named Divakarapaṇḍita to King Suryavarman II. In 1177, after the death of King Suryavarman II, a new king named Jayavarman VII took charge and he built several temples dedicated to Buddism because he had lost his faith in Hindu gods. Hence gradually Angkor Wat was transformed into a Buddhist site and many Hindu sculptures were replaced by Buddhist art which continues to the present day.
Angkor Wat
The temple is a symbol of Cambodia and is a source of national pride that has factored into Cambodia’s diplomatic relations with France, the United States, and its neighbour Thailand. A depiction of Angkor Wat has been a part of Cambodian national flags. Geographically, it is in the North West of the country, and over 300 kilometers from the Capital of Phnom Penh.
According to a myth, the construction of Angkor Wat was ordered by Indra to serve as a palace for his son Precha Ket Mealea. According to the 13th-century Chinese traveller Zhou Daguan, some believed that the temple was constructed in a single night by a divine architect.
The outer wall, 1,024 m (3,360 ft) by 802 m (2,631 ft) and 4.5 m (15 ft) high, is surrounded by a 30 m (98 ft) apron of open ground and a moat 190 m (620 ft) wide and over 5 kilometres (3 mi) in perimeter. A moat is a long wide channel that is dug around a castle and filled with water to make it difficult for enemies to attack.
Under the southern tower is a statue known as Ta Reach, originally an eight-armed statue of Vishnu that may have occupied the temple’s central shrine. The monument was made of five to ten million sandstone blocks with a maximum weight of 1.5 tons each.Several countries such as France, Japan, and China are now involved in Angkor Wat conservation projects.
Since, 1990 Angkor Wat is a major tourist destinations in the world.
In 1993 – 7650 visitors
2004 – Approx 5 lakhs 61000
2007 – Crossed a million in 2007
2012 – Crossed over 2 Million
2018 – Crossed 2.6 million
Interesting facts about Angkor Wat Temple
Angkor Wat Is the Largest Religious Monument in the World
Angkor Wat means “City of Temples”
This is the only 2nd national monument of a country which has made a place for it in the countries national flag. Afghanistan also has their national monument in their flag.
Out of the total tourists visiting Cambodia, it draws almost more than 50%.
In the wall carvings, one can simple understand the Hindu Mythology, especially the story of ‘Samudra Manthan’.
In Hindu Mythology, temples should be oriented Eastwards, however it is the only temple which is oriented Westwards.
The bricks used in the construction of the temple has been bonded with a vegetable compound instead of mortar.
The famous Hollywood movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed in Angkor temple Ta Prohm. Paramount was charged USD 10000 per day to shoot at the location. Fun Fact – Angelina Jolie’s first adopted son Maddox was from an orphanage in Cambodia.
You cannot enter the temple complex without maintaining a proper dress code. Visitors need to wear long pants to cover their knees and shirts covering their shoulders. And Skirts, Shorts, Tank Tops are not allowed inside the temple premises.
The closest city to Angkor Wat is Siem Reap. So tourists generally stay at Siem Reap. By road, it takes about half an hour by car. Longer, if you choose other modes of transport like the best is using a “Tuk Tuk”. Several airlines fly directly to Siem Reap in Cambodia and many nationalities can get a 30-day tourist visa upon arrival for $30 ( Varies from countries to countries ).
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