Bayon Temple sits right at the center of the ancient city of Angkor Thom.More than 216 smiling stone faces are seen at the Bayon Temple. These are the most recognizable and appealing images people capture at the Angkor Archeological Park.Built during the late 12th century, this temple is about 822 years old, and the splendid architecture of this ancient temple represents the creative genius of that era. The Bayon Temple served as the state temple of the most celebrated Emperor of Cambodia, King Jayavarman VII. He was a part of the Khmer Empire, and just like every Khmer King, he too left his mark on this site by building this magnificent temple. Along with Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat, the Bayon Temple is a must-visit place in Cambodia by travelers worldwide. It is one of the main attractions of the magnificent Angkor complex.The temple follows some rules and customs that are followed by all who visit. An Angkor pass is a must to enter the archaeological park. This is basically the admission ticket to enter the park and visit the temple. This pass should be carried throughout the journey into the park. It is also important to wear appropriate clothing while visiting the temple, as access to the temple may be denied if your shoulders and legs are bare. It is recommended to visit the temple early morning or in the afternoon, as the sunrays filling the temple create a breathtaking landscape.There are plenty of stairs, passageways, and galleries in the Bayon. The galleries include several bas reliefs depicting countless historical and mythological stories of the Khmer clan and their deities. This entire structure holds three main levels, which are intertwined so beautifully that most people cannot recognize the beginning and end of each level. The low ceilings, the dim lighting within the structure, narrow walkways, and the winding state temple imparts an ominous feeling to the visitors. The serene faces with age-old designs on them are indeed awe-inspiring. Furthermore, the rich history associated with the temple makes it even more astounding.Read on to learn the history and significance of Bayon Temple!Bayon Temple HistoryThe magnificent Bayon Temple holds a rich history. The Khmer Empire in Cambodia was predominant from approximately the 9-15th centuries. It was a Hindu-Buddhist Empire located in the Southeastern part of Asia. Many historians consider this empire more extensive than the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) existing in the same time period.The Angkor site is the most notable legacy of the empire, which includes the Bayon Temple and the Angkor Wat. These astounding constructions of the age-old site bear testimony to the immense wealth and power of the Khmer Empire.King Jayavarman VII, an ardent follower of Mahayana Buddhism, built the Bayon Temple inside Angkor Thom. This temple was used as the Emperor’s personal mausoleum and served as the royal cult’s main arena. In the temple, Lord Brahma was primarily worshipped at the time. However, several minor and local deities were also worshipped by people of various nearby districts.The 216 huge stone faces on the temple tower have led the scholars to believe that these faces were representations of King Jayavarman VII himself. These clam and serene faces symbolize the principles of Buddhism. Other scholars have argued that these faces actually represent Lord Buddha.After the death of King Jayavarman VII, who thought of himself as the God-King, this temple underwent numerous changes at the hands of the successors. During the rule of King Jayavarman VIII, this temple was transformed into a Hindu temple with the emplacement of several Hindu gods in the central tower. However, the later years saw the dominance of Theraveda Buddhism. During this time, most of the Hindu scriptures and the statues of Hindu gods Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, and many others were destroyed. These were replaced by Buddhist artifacts and scriptures. This evidence shows that the temple was transformed from a Hindu shrine to a Buddhist Temple.The original name of the Bayon Temple was Jayagiri, which means ‘Victory Mountain temple.’ During the French rule, the temple was renamed Bayon due to the countless banyan trees encompassing the temple and their religious significance and Buddhist imagery. We know that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment after years of meditation under a banyan tree from the Buddhist scriptures.Interestingly, the local Khmer people, who were involved in the temple restoration, mispronounced it as ‘Bayon,’ and perhaps, this is how the temple got its name. This structure, which was once the state temple of the Khmer monarchs, is about 822 years old. King Jayavarman VII was one of the more popular Khmer Kings who constructed the temple and expanded the empire with his Khmer army. He was also known for constructing several hospitals, highways, and rest houses.Bayon Temple LocationThe Bayon Temple is located exactly at the heart of Angkor Thom. Tourists can reach Angkor Thom by the south gate from Angkor Wat or Siem Reap Town. From here, the temple is at a 0.9 mi (1.6 km) distance.There are no surrounding walls or moats in Bayon, similar to other Angkor Temples. Therefore, this centrally situated temple is surrounded by linking roads and is easily accessible. It has four gates and is located west of the Siem Reap River. This royal palace lies just north of the Angkor Wat and west of another popular temple named Ta Prohm. Due to several alterations that the temple underwent, the structure looks very complicated and cluttered. The innumerable towers and ancient structures congest the monument.Deity Details Present In Bayon TempleThe Bayon was initially built as a Buddhist temple, and thus, the main idol inside the temple was the seated Buddha under the hood of the Mucalinda snake. This was discovered from a pit under the temple.Following the death of Jayavarman VII, the temple was turned into a Hindu shrine. The Hindu God Vishnu and other deities of the Hindu mythology were worshiped at the time, with separate temples dedicated to them.At first, the faces on the temple were thought to be representations of Brahma, the Hindu God of creation. Later on, archaeologists believed the faces represent the Bodhisattva of compassion, Lokeshvara. A large terrace with Naga balustrades and guardian lions is observed when approaching the temple from the east. There used to be large pools on the left and right portions of the terrace. These remains are still seen. There are about 54 towers, all of which represent the smiling faces, that are also thought of Emperor Jayavarman VII, who was regarded as the God-King among the natives. Remains of the images of various Hindu deities are found, which suggests that the people of the Khmer Empire kept a deep interest in the mythology of Hindus. Some panels show the image of a goddess from a mountain, which is probably a depiction of Parvati, the wife of Shiva.Another series depicts the legend of the Leper King, and the pictures show that a king is engaged in a battle with a gigantic serpent using his bare hands. These hands were then examined by women, and finally, he was lying on his bed and fell ill due to the venom of the snake. There are other depictions of Vishnu, the Hindu deity, and his heroic action of churning of the sea was depicted on the panels in the north of the Western Gopura. The main entrance had sculptures of about 54 Gods on one side, and an equal number of demons were depicted on the other side. Unfortunately, most of these sculptures are heavily damaged, with their heads knocked off by robbers.Significance And Design Of Bayon TempleThe design of the Bayon Temple is of great significance to us. It tells us about the extensive power, wealth, and rich cultural heritage of the Khmer clan. The extraordinary art and detailed architecture of the Angkor Temples also tell us about the taste of the monarchs of that epoch.There are three different levels that account for Bayon’s basic structure. The distinct phases of temple alterations and construction can be understood from each of these three levels. These are adorned with beautiful bas-reliefs of 0.7 mi (1.2 km) in length that consist of more than 11000 sculptures. The first two layers are square in shape, while the third one is circular with a central sanctuary and elongated face towers.The central sanctuary can be accessed on the eastern part, which leads through a number of chambers. According to the archaeologists, there might have been large libraries on either side of the sanctuary. The Western sanctuary is thought to be a dedicated chamber for the Hindu deity, Vishnu, while the Northern one was that of Shiva’s. The Southern sanctuary is believed to have been dedicated to Lord Buddha.The first layer has four entrance gates, also called gopuras, with an outer gallery and four pillars in four corners. A large series of bas-reliefs represent the various mythological and historical events of the deities as well as the Angkorian Khmer. A large amount of information regarding Angkor history and the battles of Jayavarman VII was retrieved by the archaeologists from the depictions shown on these bas-reliefs. Some of these depictions on the bas reliefs include a Chinese merchant involved in his business in his shophouse and other Chinese people. The scenes of the battlefield involving the Khmer army and the Cham army are also shown on these reliefs.A lot of knowledge from the palace scenes and the scenes of daily life are also received. The bas reliefs in inner galleries depict mostly the mythological and religious scenes of the Khmer clan. These depictions include the priests worshipping in the temples, royal processions of the Kings along with his army, elephants, musicians, and the queens riding in their palanquins. More than ten scenes of royal processions are depicted on these reliefs. Hindu deities are also seen in the inner galleries, with the famous battle scene of Vishnu and Garuda.
Bayon Temple sits right at the center of the ancient city of Angkor Thom.
