The Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom, Cambodia

The Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom, Cambodia


One of the last temples built in Angkor, Bayon is one of the few
Buddhist temples in Angkor; most are dedicated to Hindu dieties. Over
200 large faces adorn the 54 towers at Bayon.

Opinions vary: the faces may depict Avalokitesvara. My favorite
choice, though, is Jayavarman VII himself, the King who built the
Bayon - the faces depict him, for he thought he was a bodhisattva
(someone who had achieved the Buddhist goal of disengaging himself
from the world and, upon being offered the opportunity to dissipate
into Nirvana, chose unselfishly instead to return to the world to help
it). An alternative: Jayavarman's face was used to depict
Avalokitesvara because that was the god associated with Jayavarman as
god-king.

Bayon is best seen during early morning, as sunrise creates an eerie
effect on the many faces. But the many bas-reliefs need the light of
afternoon to examine. Unlike Angkor, the reliefs in Bayon are meant to
be viewed from left to right. Bayon also lacks the typical enclosing
wall found at most area monuments.

The temple has three levels. The lower two are lined with bas-reliefs.
The third includes a central sanctuary. This makes the temple sound
simple; it is in fact a maze of walkways and galleries that make it
difficult for visitors to discern the three levels. Many of the bas-
reliefs at Bayon contain scenes from everyday life -- fishing,
festivals, the marketplace, and even cockfights...

Jayavarman VIII took the Khmer throne after a three or four year
hiatus on the part of the royal family. In 1177 the Chams sacked
Angkor in a suprise attack. In 1181, Jayavarman VII restored to the
throne the royal line founded by Jayavarman VI a century earlier. He
proved to be a religious inovator and a prolific builder.

While Jayavarman continued to tolerate the worship of the Hindu gods
Shiva and Vishnu, he made Mahayana Buddhism the primary religion of
Angkor for the first time. And the Bayon Temple became his state
temple. He also built the temples of Prah Kahn, which is dedicated to
his father, and Ta Prohm, which is dedicated to his mother. Jayavarman
was also responsible for the construction of roads and bridges
throughout the kings, and of hospital - something which later led
historians to speculate about his own health. If Angkor had a leper-
king, Jayavarman is the leading candidate; but there is no real
evidence that he built hospitals out of any motive other than social
conscience and the Buddhist desire to "make merit."



Picture Courtesy of Snapshot Asia
Bas-reliefs in Bayon's first gallery are arranged in three levels.
Kings are usually represented by the image of the Hindu monkey-god,
Hanuman; Buddhism because the focus of Bayon only after its
construction was begun. The construction took several decades. And
changes in the scheme resulted in narrow, poorly lit passage ways.
Daily life is narrated on the first level and Hindu mythology is
illustrated on the temple's second level.

When Chou Ta-Kuan visited Angkor in 1297-98, Bayon's towers were
covered in gold. The gold was stripped by later conquorers. And while
Angkor Wat was kept from the ravages of the jungle by Buddhist monks,
Bayon was left to the devices of nature. Four and a half centuries
took their toll...

It is almost a mile from the South Gate of Angkor Thom to Bayon. The
eastern terrace was intended as the main entrance. If you have the
time, Bayon should be seen in a variety of lights. The morning reveals
the most of Bayon's details. Moonlight brings a temperament to the
bodhisattvas on Bayon's towers that is difficult to express in words.

In 1933 excavations at the site uncovered the "Buddha-King," probably
a representation of Jayavarman VII. The twelve-foot statue has been
restored and now sits at the Victory Gate in Angkor Thom.

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