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