temples - bayon

bayon temple is a must visit when you plan the temple trip. one of the ancient temples built by king jayaraman, this temple has about 20 odd faces.

the entrance to temple has been modified by  the archeolgical survey by providing wooden walkways.

it is generally accepted that the four faces on each of the towers are images of King Jayavarman VII, which means the omnipresence of the king. And it also symbolizes the four smiling face as charming smile, sad smile, glad smile and beautiful smile. There are about 200 faces.

Bayon is known for its huge stone faces of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, with one facing outward and keeping watch at each compass point. The curious smiling image, thought by many to be a portrait of Jayavarman himself, has been dubbed by some the "Mona Lisa of Southeast Asia." There are 51 smaller towers surrounding Bayon, each with four faces of its own

 Since the Bayon Temple was constructed in stages over a span of many years, it appears to be somewhat of an architectural jumble. When seen from a distance, at first it can seem like a rather formless jumble of stone, but on the inside, there is a maze of galleries, towers and passageways on the three different levels.

 the faces all have the same strange smile and closed eyes, pehaps in the meditation pose :P