Hinduism and Buddhism both are reflected in the mysterious Bayon Temple of Cambodia which is a famous Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia.

This enigmatic temple was constructed around 1190 AD by the King Jayavarman VII as a worshipping place for Buddhist community but it has also some of the features of Hindu cosmology.

Bayon Temple. Photo : Deddeeda

Bayon Temple represents the intersection of heaven and earth. It is believed that the Bayon Temple was designed to serve as the primary locus of the royal cult and to serve as Jayavarman’s personal mausoleum. At that time, Angkor Thom was established as the new capital of Jayavarman’s state.

Bayon faces at the Bayon temple of Cambodia. Photo : Jonathan Lewis.

The most attractive part of the construction of the Bayon Temple is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The mythological research is still going on among the historians to search for the exact resemblances of the 216 mystical faces. Most of them believe it’s the face of King Jayavarman VII or Avalokiteshvara.

Buddha Statue at the Temple of Bayon. Image : Dedeeda

Bayon Temple of Cambodia  is surrounded by two long walls on which there are more than 11,000 carved figures over 1.2km of wall. Although now most of the carvings have become faded with the passage of time yet they were painted and gilded beautifully. The central sanctuary of the Bayon Temple is surrounded by a narrow corridor in the middle of which a big statue of Buddha is erected.