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Stones that speak a story
By Vaidehi Nathan
If stones can speak, the sculptures in Cambodia will tell the story of glory, when Hindu kings built grandiose temples, the times when the precincts were crowded with devotees, art lovers and the sad tale of loot and plunder and mining they are subject to now.
The Hindu temples were built in Cambodia between the ninth and 12th Century and are strikingly similar to the temples in Tamil Nadu and Kalinga (Orissa) areas, in India. It is surprising that the Hindu temples and traditions in Cambodia are so meagerly mentioned while discussing the Hindu history.
A recent study by Dr Vasudha Narayanan, Professor of Religion at the University of Florida, focuses on three temples in Kanchipuram and the temples in Cambodia. The similarities are many.
In a conservative estimate there are hundreds of Hindu temples in Cambodia, mostly in a state of ruin. The internal strife in the country had made international access to these sites impossible. More over, the rebels, in order to stop the government from making these glorious remnants tourist attractions had mined many of them. With the settling of the daily war to some extent, these sites are being de-mined so that a closer scrutiny can be done of the architecture and craftsmanship. While some prominent temples have received attention, there are many many more, which are striking in their beauty and affinity to the temples in south India.
The ?reverse-reclining? Vishnu, i.e, Vishnu whose head is on the right (commonly it is on the left) and the eight-armed Vishnu are found in abundance in Cambodia. These two figures are prominent in the three temples?Vaikunta Perumal, Tiru Vekha and Asahta-bhujakaram?in Kanchipuram.
According to Dr Vasudha, the eighth century three-storied Vaikunta Perumal temple is the prototype for the 12th century three-storied west-facing temple at Angkor Wat, built by Suryavarman II.
According to Dr Vasudha, the eighth century three-storied Vaikunta Perumal temple is the prototype for the 12th century three-storied west-facing temple at Angkor Wat, built by Suryavarman II. This has been a Buddhist sanctuary for centuries now. West-facing temples are not common in Cambodia. But there are several in Tamil Nadu. The 12 Bhakti saints of the Vaishnava sect called Azhvars have sung in great devotion about these shrines.
Most Hindu temples are built in accordance with the astronomical calculations. The Angkor Wat is a classical example of this architectural grammar. On certain days of the year, like the spring equinox, the sun rises over the central tower of the temple. At another spot, the sun falls on the carving of Bhisma, on the day of Uttarayana, when he gave up his mortal body, using his boon for death on desire.
The similarities do not end here. The tradition of carving Vishnu, in the sayana posture in the open is seen in Kalinga as well as Cambodia.
It is surprising that the Hindu temples and traditions in Cambodia are so meagerly mentioned while discussing the Hindu history.
A beautiful sculpture of Vishnu on the rocks in the path of river Siem Reap in Kbal Spean in Cambodia was a treat to the eye, till the heritage plunderers scooped out the upper part of the body and sold it to the antique-thirsty museums in the West. The river dries up in summer. When it flows, it appears to fall from the feet of Vishnu. Below are the carvings of Shiva Lingas, detailing the story of Ganga, descending from the heavens, touching the feet of Vishnu and falling into the locked hair of Shiva.
Multi-armed Shiva, in knee-bent position, dancing with joy (thandava) and Harihara are some of the common sculptural aspects. Harihara, showing the features of Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Shiva) was worshiped in many temples in Cambodia as also here. The eight armed Vishnu, called Ashtabhujakaram, seen in north India and Badami is enshrined in Kanchipuram as well as Phnom Da in southern Cambodia. Vishnu astride Garuda, an image that is present at many temples in India are found commonly in Cambodia. The Salarjung museum in Hyderabad has one of the most beautiful collection of images of Garuda carrying Vishnu. The National Museum in Phnom Penh has an image of full-size Harihara, whose head had been severed. A small board says the head is at the Musee Guimet, Paris. Such unabashed hunger for the antiques is manifest everywhere one turns in Cambodia.
The extensive Sanskrit inscriptions quoting Hindus texts as well as the public works of Cambodian kings and queens, starting with Queen Kulaprabhavati (circa 5th to 6th century) and all the monarchs of the later Kambuja empire, beginning with the emperor Jayavarman II who established his first capital at Hariharalaya near the modern Siem Reap speak of the extensive contacts between Cambodia and India.
Some of the minor stories in the Hindu puranas are enlarged and played repeatedly in the carvings in Cambodia. One such is the story of Sagar manthan?the churning of the ocean for the nector. In modern Cambodia, this scene of devas and asuras churning the ocean for the nector is portrayed on the outside wall of the War Memorial in Sien Rea and some major hotels also. One of the largest bas-reliefs in the world is in Angkor Wat, measuring 49 meters, depicts this scene.
Cambodia is not merely a story of the Hindu influence on the sub-continent. It is as much the history of cultural, trade and social relationship. Angkor Wat and other temples are not reminders of foreign aggression on the land but testimony to the cultural affinity and the sharing of a common culture. The Indian school textbooks that discuss in great detail about the so-called influence of the Islamic art in India do not even spare a cursory attention to this history, being narrated by the temples in Cambodia. A gloss over that needs to be set right.
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