Monumental temples and royal power

Like Indravarman I, many began building temples, shrines and public buildings almost immediately after ascending the throne. These buildings were often dedicated to gods or the king’s ancestors. Constructing temples was a way to show piety and continue the cult of the king’s divine status. Monument building was both a spiritual and political statement.

This style of construction is known as temple-mountain architecture. The temple symbolises Mount Meru, the mythical home of the gods in Hindu cosmology.

The outer wall of Angkor Wat measures nearly four kilometres in perimeter. Today, the space between the inner and outer walls is filled with grass and trees, but at its peak, it was part of the city—home to houses, markets and palaces.

Yves Coffin, [Angkor Wat, view of main temple at night], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140373200

A square moat surrounds the entire temple complex, measuring 1.7 kilometres east to west and 1.5 kilometres north to south. It is almost 200 metres wide. A wide sandstone causeway links the temple to the mainland.

Angkor Wat has been a religious, spiritual and cultural centre since its foundation. It remains a powerful national symbol, featured on the Cambodian flag and recognised by royal decree.

Hydrology and public works

In addition to building temples, the Khmer kings were skilled engineers and hydrologists. Major cities throughout the empire included large-scale hydrological works such as reservoirs (barays), canals and sluices. Scholars are divided on whether these were primarily practical or spiritual in function.

He made good on this promise by building the Indratataka reservoir—a man-made lake 3.8 kilometres long and 800 metres wide. It could hold up to 7.5 million cubic metres of water (about three Olympic-sized swimming pools). Though dry today, the reservoir once supplied water to the capital, Hariharalaya.

During the monsoon, the reservoir collected excess water; in the dry season, the water was used to irrigate rice fields via channels and sluices. Later kings built even larger reservoirs. When Yasovarman I moved the capital to Yasodharapura (Angkor), he connected the old and new capitals with a waterway.

Reservoirs were built using huge labour forces drawn from the civilian population. The Khmer built strong earthen dykes from clay and soil dug from within the reservoir site. They even diverted rivers to fill the barays.

At its centre is West Mebon, a small temple built in the 11th century by Udayadityavarman II. When the reservoir was full, the temple became an island. It was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.

In 1936, archaeologists uncovered fragments of a colossal reclining bronze statue of Vishnu from the site.

Scholars believe that when the statue was intact, the temple would have appeared to show Vishnu reclining on the waters of the lake—symbolising the primordial ocean from which the gods created life. This symbolism has fuelled academic debate over whether the barays were spiritual, practical or both.

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