The Dynasty Of The Temples (CAMBODIA DAY 1)

So yesterday, we went to see the 7^th wonder of the world. Our day started with us having breakfast and then heading out to see the temples. Our first stop was the Angkor Wat temple, which has been named the 7^th wonder of the world in the world wonder list. When we arrived at the gate, there were lots of people around and it was amazing to find out that thousands of foreign tourists visit the temple yearly. On getting to the entrance of the temple, I was captivated by the magnificence and beauty of the temple as it stood right in front of me. It looked even more breathtaking on ground than it did in pictures. The temple was built by the Khmer king and dedicated to Vishnu. It was exquisitely designed and had beautiful carvings around it. The temple had 3 spectacular rising towers, each level higher than the other. There were different shrines located throughout the temple. We explored the temple with others learning about the culture and dynasty of the temple. We then headed to the river moat in front of it and could see the beautiful reflection of the temple on the river.

Our next stop was the Ta Prohm temple. This was the temple featured in the movie, “Tomb raider”. The temple was built in the late 12^th and early 13^th century and was originally called Rajavihara. It was different from the Angkor Wat temple and stood out as it merged with a jungle and was surrounded by such tall, beautiful, and gigantic trees. Some of the trees stood on top of the temple with their roots going down and around the temple building.  The temple’s main image and design was centered on the kings mother. The temple also had a hall of dancers with decorated carvings of dancing ‘apsaras’ (female spirit of the clouds and waters) indicating that the hall must have been used for dancing. It was such a fun and fulfilling day.