What is the purpose of Angkor Wat?
It is generally accepted that Angkor Wat was a funerary temple for King Suryavarman II and oriented to the west to conform to the symbolism between the setting sun and death. The bas-reliefs, designed for viewing from left to right in the order of Hindu funereal ritual, support this function.
What is Angkor Wat famous for?
Though just one of hundreds of surviving temples and structures, the massive Angkor Wat is the most famed of all Cambodia’s temples—it appears on the nation’s flag—and it is revered for good reason. The 12th century “temple-mountain” was built as a spiritual home for the Hindu god Vishnu.
What was the role of Hinduism in Angkor empire?
Hinduism was one of the Khmer Empire’s official religions. Angkor Wat, the largest temple complex in the world (now Buddhist) was once a Hindu temple. … Initially, the kingdom followed Hinduism as the main state religion. Vishnu and Shiva were the most revered deities worshipped in Khmer Hindu temples.
Does anyone live at Angkor Wat?
Following the 15th century, Theravada Buddhist monks maintained Angkor Wat as a major pilgrimage site. The city is a Unesco World Heritage site measuring about 150 square miles. It is still inhabited, with some of the people who live in its villages tracing their ancestry back to its golden age.