We stand before it stunned. It is like nothing else in the
land. The Bayon is located in the center of the city of Angkor Thom 1500 meters (4921 feet) from the
south gate. Enter tower of the Bayon is from the east. Prasat Bayon was built
in late 12th century to early 13th century, by the King Jayavarman VII, dedicated
to Buddhist.
BACKGROUND
The Bayon vies with Angkor Wat the favorite monument of
visitors. the two evoke similar aesthetic responses yet are different in
purpose, design, architecture and decoration. The dense jungle surround the
temple camouflaged its position in relation to other structures at Angkor so it
was not known for some time that the Bayon stands in the exact centre of the
city of Angkor Thom .
Even after this was known, the Bayon was erroneously
connected with the city of Yasovarman
I and thus dated to the ninth century. A pediment found in 1925 depicting an
Avalokitesvara identified the Bayon as a Buddhist temple.
This discovery moved the date of the monument ahead some 300
years to the late twelfth century. Even though the date is firmly implanted and
supported by archaeological evidence, the Bayon remains one of the most
enigmatic temples of the Angkor group. Its
symbolism, original form and subsequent changes and constructions have not yet
been untangled.
The Bayon was built nearly 100 years after Angkor Wat. The
basic structure and earliest part of the temple ate not known. Since it was
located at the centre of a royal city it seems possible that the Bayon would
have originally been a temple-mountain conforming to the symbolism of a
microcosm of Mount
Meru
Smilling Face at BayonThe architectural scale and
composition of the Bayon exude grandness in every aspects. Its elements
juxtapose each other to create balance and harmony.
Over 2000 large faces carved on the 54 tower give this
temple its majestic character. The faces with slightly curving lips, eyes
placed in shadow by the lowered lids utter not a word and yet force you to
guess much, wrote P Jennerat de Beerski in the 1920s. It is generally accepted
that four faces on each of the tower are images of the bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara and that they signify the omnipresence of the king. The
characteristics of this faces - a broad forehead, downcast eyes, wild nostrils,
thick lips that curl upwards slightly at the ends-combine to reflect the famous
'Smile of Angkor'.
LAYOUT
A peculiarity of the Bayon is the absence of an enclosing
wall. It is, though, protected by the wall surrounding the city of Angkor Thom . The basic
plan of the Bayon is a simple one comprising three levels (1-3). The first and
second levels are square galleries featuring bas-reliefs. A circular Central
Sanctuary dominates the third level. Despite this seemingly simple plan, the
arrangement of the Bayon is complex, with a maze of galleries, passages and
steps connected in a way that make the levels practically indistinguishable and
creates dim lighting, narrow walkways, and low ceilings.
Enter the Bayon from the east at the steps leading to a
terrace. The interior of the Bayon, the one a visitor first encounters, is a
square gallery on the ground or first level. This gallery is interspersed with
eight entry towers - one in each corner and one in the middle of each side. All
of the eight structures are in the shape of a cross. The gallery was probably
originally covered with a root, perhaps of wood.
Tip: For those who have limited time, enter the Bayon at the
east, turn left at the first gallery and follow the arrow marked on the plan.
The decoration on the pillars in front of the entry tower at
the east is characteristic of the Bayon style and is exceptionally beautiful. It
is the recurring theme of the Apsaras but with a different treatment. A typical
composition is a group of three Asaras dancing on a bed of lotuses. They are in
a triangular formation. The figure in the center is larger than those on either
side.
A plain background highlights both the dancers and the
intricately carved frame comprising a lightly etched pattern of flowers and
leaves that look like tapestry. (Although a group of three dancers is typical, similar
scenes are made up only one or two dancers.)
Tip: The absence of a roof on these pillars allows
sufficient light for the visitor to view and photograph this motif at all times
of the day.
The two galleries of bas-reliefs are distinguished by the
degree of elevation.
The first or outer gallery is all on one level whereas the
second or inner gallery is on different level and the passage is some times
difficult. The layout of the inner gallery can be misleading but as lone as the
relief are in view you are still in the second gallery.
On the interior of the first level there are two libraries (6),
one on each side near the corners at the east side of the gallery.
The second gallery of bas-reliefs has a tower in each corner
and another one on each side which combines to form an entry tower.
On the interior of the second level there is a unit of
galleries at each corner that form a cross with indentation. Each corner has a
tower and a courtyard. Agigh terrace parallels the profile of the cross-shaped
gallery.
The architectural climax is the third level, with the
Central Sanctuary and the faces of Avalokitesvara. The east side of this area
is crammed with a series of small rooms and entry towers .The multitude of
faces at different levels affords endless fascination. Godliness in the majesty
and the size; mystery in the expression wrote de Beer ski when he looked at the
faces in the 1920s.
The central mass is circular, a shape that is uncommon in
Khmer art. Small porches with pediments provide the bases for the monumental
faces while windows with balusters keep the diffusion of light to a minimum. The
faces on the four sides of the eight tower marking the cardinal directions are
exceptionally dramatic depictions.
The interior of the Central Sanctuary is and surrounded by a
narrow passage. The summit of the Central mass is undoubtedly the Golden Tower
THE GALLERY OF BAS-RELIEFS
The have homely human things to tell and they tell them
without affectation, wrote H Churchill Candee of the bas-reliefs in the
galleries of the Bayon.
Tip: View the galleries of bas-reliefs clockwise, always
keeping the monument on the right. Do not get so absorbed with the reliefs that
you forget to stop at each opening and enhoy the view of the faces on the third
level.
The bas-reliefs at the Bayon consist of two galleries. The
inner one is decorated with mythical scenes. The bas-reliefs on the outer
gallery are a marked departure from anything previously seen at Angkor . They contain genre scenes of everyday life-markets,
fishing, festivals with cockfights and jugglers and so on-and history scenes
with battles and processions. The relief are more deeply carved than at Angkor
Wat but the representation is less stylized. The scenes are presented mostly in
two or three horizontal panels.
