Friday, September 24, 2010

Bhishma on bed of arrows at Angkor Wat

When I wrote about Bhishma on the bed of arrows at Pattadakkal, (click here)  I had heard about a similar image at Angkor Wat. My dream of seeing this came true last fortnight, when I visited Bali and Angkor Wat with my batchmates at IIM, Ahmedabad .

This is on the Southern Gallery at the Western entrance to Angkor Wat.



Angkor wat is perhaps the largest temple in the world. It was built in the 12th century by Suryavarman II of Cambodia and was dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Later, it was converted to a Buddhist temple. Like other monuments in Cambodia, Angkor Wat blends Buddhist and Hindu imagery and legends.

Incidentally, image of this temple appears in the country's flag.