Angkor Wat, Cambodia - Assignment Example

Angkor Wat, Cambodia Introduction Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia which was built in the 12th century for king Suryawarman II as a temple dedicated to him and also as the symbol of the capital city. It is the only temple surviving among all other temples dedicated to Hindu deities in the region because it is the best preserved site. It was first dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and then it was turned into a Buddhist temple. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture making it a national symbol for Cambodia; it is also the most important tourist spot of the country. Some of the features are similar to the famous Hindu architecture of the temples. Some of the other salient features are the extensive rectangular galleries each of which is raised above the next level. The three areas of architectural analysis are material and structure, bas relief and function of the building. Material and Structure The temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city. Three rectangular galleries rise to a central tower, each level higher than the last. One gallery is dedicated to one particular god. Each gallery has a gopura at each point and there are towers at the corners of the inner galleries which forms a quincunx with the central tower. The features are oriented with their back eastwards as the temple faces west. The west facing steps are shallower than the other side. The outer gallery measures 40250 sq m in area with pavilions towers at the corners. The structure is buttressed by columned half-galleries which are extended throughout and are open to the outside temple. The galleries and the towers, all are made according to the Khmer architecture with Khmer inscriptions throughout the gallery walls. There are four ponds for fulfilling the water requirement of the building which are currently dry and look like as if they were courtyards. The second and inner galleries are connected to each other and to two flanking libraries by another cruciform terrace, again a later addition. Devatas abound on the walls are present both singly and in groups of up to four; it starts from the second level. If we trace the history it is revealed that the second level was originally flooded in the past due to the ocean around Mount Meru. The stairways are very deep but it does not represent the architecture, it is related to the religious aspect of the architecture of the building as the stairways are made steep to depict the difficulty for ascending to the gods. The walls feature statues and bas reliefs which will be discussed later. Various materials are used in the buildings, which include Brick, Sandstone and Laterite. These materials signify the Khmer architecture. The earliest Angkorian temples were made mainly of brick, decorations were usually carved into a stucco applied to the brick rather than into the brick itself. Some of the bricks used in the building are believed to be imported from the neighbor state of Champa. These bricks are black and the other aspects are similar to those in Angkor. At some places the brickwork is very delicate, replicating woodwork and paperwork. The only stone which is used in the temple building is sandstone obtained from Kulen Mountains. Sins its obtainment was considerably more expensive than that of the brick, sandstone is not used very extensively. It has been used mostly in the door frames. Some of the important parts of the temple have been constructed entirely of sandstone. Laterite has also been used in the building. Laterite is a type of clay which is very soft when it is excavated out of the ground but it hardens when exposed to the sun. Laterite has been used in the building in the foundation and other hidden parts. Laterite is not suitable for decorative carvings as the finished surface is uneven. For decorative carvings it needs first to be dressed with stucco. The central sanctuary of the temple is home to the temple’s primary deity. A hall of dancers is also present which is elongated along the temple’s east axis and is divided onto four courtyards by galleries. The pillars of these galleries have been decorated by carved designs of Apsaras, which accounts for the hall being deemed as dedicated for dancing. The library building is a free standing structure at right side of the entrance. The library building as it sounds was not open for all but was only dedicated for storing religious manuscript which were to be used by the royal family or the priests. Function There are several features in the buildings which are as such because of the special function they have to perform and on this basis they can easily be contrasted architecturally. In the temple the stairways are deep and steep. This is due to the religious aspect of the stairways as the stairways lead to the central temple tower, the deepness and steepness signifies the difficulty to access the gods. Since the temple was not considered a place of worship for use by the population at large, but rather a home for the deity, the sanctuary needed only to be large enough to hold the statue or linga therefore it is not more than a few meters across. The importance has been conveyed by the height of the tower rising high and also by the location of the sanctuary at the center of the temple. The decorations at the walls and the symbols are also according to the function various parts of the building have to perform. The materials used in the building area also according to the requirement and importance of the part of the temple in which they are being used. Today the temple has also been renovated according to its importance as it is a source of great national pride which has also factored into the Cambodia’s diplomatic relations with its neighbors and other countries. Angkor Wat has also been displayed on the Cambodian national flag. The various parts of the temple; the ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds, half galleries to broaden the passageways, axial galleries connecting enclosures and the cruciform terraces along the main axis of the temple, all have their architecture specifically according to the function they have to perform. Bas Relief Bas-reliefs are individual figures, groups of figures or entire scenes cut into the stone walls or in the dressed brick walls. These are not cut as drawings but as sculpted images projection from a background. Sculpture in bas-relief is distinguished from sculpture in haunt-relief as in the latter images are projected as farther from the background. In the temple all the decorative work and carvings are in the bas-reliefs. There are narrative bas-reliefs which depict the stories form mythology and history of Angkor. Most of the bas-reliefs are on the spaces on the tympana above the doorways. The kind of work done in the temple is according to the Hindu architecture which is also found in Ramayana and Mahabharata. The galleries are entirely covered in carved scenes. Some 12000 to 13000 square meter of such scenes are present in the temple, some of them are historic while others are mythological. Some of the bas-reliefs present in the temple are: 1. The duel of Bhima and Duryodhana at the battle of Kurukshetra 2. The duel of the monkey princes Vali and Sugriva and the intervention of the human hero Rama 3. Kama firing an arrow at Shiva 4. The Churning of the Ocean of Milk 5. Battle between Vishnu and force of asaras Borobudur, Java Introduction: Borobudur is a 9th century Mahayana Buddhist Monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument is a shrine to Gautama Budh and a place of pilgrimage for the Buddhists. The architecture of Borobudur is also derived from the Khmer architecture. There are six square platforms in the monument which are topped by three circular platforms decorated with 2672 bas relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Domes and perforated stupa are some of the salient features of the building architecture. The stairways and the corridors are also decorated by reliefs. The three areas of architectural analysis which are to be discussed are the materials and structure, bas relief (decorations in the building) and also the function of the building. Material and Structure The materials that have been used in the monument are somewhat the same as in the Wat at Angkor but the stonework is more extensive. Approximately 55000 cubic meters of stones were taken from neighboring rivers to build the monument. The stones were cut to size. Transported to the site and laid without mortar. Knobs, indentations and dovetails were used to form joints between stones. Reliefs were created in-situ after the completion of the building. The structure of the monument is very advanced. It has a very good drainage system to cater for the area’s high storm-water run-off. 100 spouts at each corner each with a unique carved gargoyle in the shape of a giant or makara are installed to prevent flooding. The main structure of the monument can be divided into three components, base, body and the top. The body is composed of five square platforms, each of diminishing height. The first terrace is set back 7 meters from the edge of the base. Stairways at the center of each of four sides give access to the top with a number of arched gates overlooked by 32 lion statues. The gates are adorned with Kala’s head carved on top of each and Makaras projecting from each side. The Kala-Makara motif is commonly found on the gates of the Javanese temples. The main entrance is on the eastern side which is also the location of the first relief. The stairways at the slopes of the hills link the monument to the low lying plains. Function Borobudur differs markedly from the general design of other structures built for this purpose. It has been built on a natural hill instead of flat surface which is the case with most of the monuments. But the construction technique has been adopted according to the function of the building and thus is same as of the other temples and monuments in Java. Congregational worship in Borobudur is performed in the form of pilgrimages. Therefore the building has been built such that so as to accommodate and facilitate the pilgrims. Pilgrims were guided by the system of staircases and corridors ascending to the top platform. Each platform represents on stage of enlightenment. The path that guides pilgrims was designed to symbolize Buddhist cosmology. Bas Relief Borobudur contains approximately 2670 individual bas reliefs (1460 narrative and 1212 decorative panels) which cover the facades and balustrades. The total relief surface is 2500 square meters and they are distributed at the hidden foot. The narrative panels which tell the story of Sudhana and Manohara are grouped into 11 series encircled monument with total length of 3000 meters. Narrative panels on the walls read from right to left while those on the balustrades read from left to right. The narrative panels have been distributed into four galleries. All the narratives are present to the right of the sanctuary according to the Buddhist beliefs. In addition to the narratives and the bas reliefs the monument also contains several statues of Buddha. Conclusion Both the buildings have same basic architecture but there are marked differences in some aspects, the basic architecture being the Khmer architecture. The Angkor Wat is made of bricks as well as stones but the monument at Borobudur is mainly made of stone, therefore all the carvings are accordingly. The structure of the Wat is somewhat primitive as compared to that of Borobudur. The buildings are also different with respect to their function. The Wat is a temple in which only the royal family and the priests are allowed and was basically deemed as house to the deity while monument at Borobudur is a place of pilgrimage for people. There are other differences in some of the building features based on function like the stairways in Wat are deep and steep but those in the monument were made to facilitate the pilgrims. The bas-relief patterns are also different, with Wat being more Hindu oriented and monument at Borobudur being Buddhist oriented. The monument at Borobudur is decorated in more detail and also contains statues in addition to carvings and bas-relief. References E. Mannika (1996), Angkor Wat: Time, Space and Kingship, University of Hawaii Press J. J. Norwich (1975) Great Architecture of the World, London: Mitchell Beazley Publishers G. E. K. Smith (1990), Looking at Architecture, New York: Harry N. Abrams Publishers K. Matthews (2001) Great Buildings Collection, CDROM, Artifice L. H. Phuoc (2010) Buddhist Architecture, Grafikol M. Moffet, M. W. Fazio, L. Wodehouse (2003), A World History of Architecture, Laurence King Publishing J. Glancey (2003), The Story of Architecture, Dorling Kindersley J. Miksic, A. Tranchini, M. Tranchini (1996), Borobudur: Golden Tales of Buddha, Tuttle Publishing Read More