Unseen photos of Angkor Wat, eighth wonder of world!

Shikha GautamShikha Gautam,TRAVEL NEWS, CAMBODIA Updated : Dec 9, 2023, 12:19 IST

Unseen photos of Angkor Wat, eighth wonder of the world!

Angkor Wat, one of the world's most famous temple complex in Cambodia, has another claim to fame now. It is now the Eighth Wonder of the World, beating other major giants, including Italy's famous Pompeii.

A Hindu-Buddhist temple complex, Angkor Wat is spread across a mammoth 402 acres and is also the world's largest religious structure as per the Guinness World Records. Here, we have some of the rarest photos of Angkor Wat for you to pore over.

Photo courtesy: Canva

Faces of Bayon Temple

Bayon is one of the most famous temples at Angkor, and rose to fame with the mysterious face towers that are present here. The temple was discovered by explorers in the 19th century, and there are many beliefs that the faces could be of Hindu or Buddhist deities, or King Jayavarman VII as well. It is believed that the temple represents Mt Meru, centre of the universe.

<a rel="nofollow" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bullet_holes_at_angkor_wat.jpg" target="_blank"title="Angkor wat bullets"> Photo by:</a> Knödelbaum, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution Licence</a>

Bullet holes at Angkor Wat

One cannot help but notice hundreds of bullet holes at Angkor, remains of the fights between Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese Army. More than anything, these traces make wonder about war and its ravages even in today's times.

<a rel="nofollow" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nakhon_Thom_(Angkor_Wat),_Cambodia_Wellcome_L0056021.jpg" target="_blank"title="Nakhon Thom (Angkor Wat)"> Photo by:</a> , <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution Licence</a>

Angkor Wat in 1866

This photo was captured by John Thomson in 1866 and is one of the rarest photos of Angkor Wat. It shows the facade of one of the Angkor temples and is a definite throwback to what has now become the eighth wonder of the world.

<a rel="nofollow" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angkor_Wat_-_Akiyoshi_Matsuoka_2011_%E3%82%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%AF%E3%83%83%E3%83%88_DSCF2789.jpg" target="_blank"> Photo by:</a> 松岡明芳, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution Licence</a>

Angkor in year 2011

Angkor Wat is a place unlike any other, an experience you would remember for the rest of your life. Watching a world so ancient blend seamlessly with the contemporary make it all the more interesting as well. While travellers can explore the site in buses as well, we recommend that you take a couple of days to roam around at lesiure.

Photo courtesy: Canva

Angkor's South Gate

This photo is from Angkor's South Gate, which is perhaps one of the most photographed parts here. It has a moat that is flanked by sculptures of demons and gods, and represents samundra manthan (churning of the sea) in search of nectar.

Some of these have been painstakingly restored and have their roots in the Hindu religion, where samundra manthan is one of the most major events that ever happened. It is believed that the churning of the sea was to find for nectar, which the Gods had and turned immortal. These sculptures at the South Gate are a major highlight here and are loved by photographers from all over the world.

<a rel="nofollow" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_in_Cambodia.jpg" target="_blank"title="Angkor wat"> Photo by:</a> Mark J. Sebastian, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution Licence</a>

Ta Reach, the famous statue at Angkor

This eight-armed statue of God Vishnu is one of the most sacred sculpture at Cambodia. The locals believe the deity to be one of the most revered figures. The sculpture has been restored multiple times since the 16th century after it was damaged due to war, natural calamities and reasons, and human activities that also include pouring of water over the statue by the devotees.

Photo courtesy: Canva

Nature taking over!

It is a surreal experience to visit Angkor Wat; more so because it is a place that is magnificently set in the middle of nature and scenes like these are commonplace. Majestic ancient trees have taken over some of the temples and sculptures here, lending a certain mystery and lure to the complex; also driving home the point that nature reigns supreme, with or without humans.

Photo courtesy: Canva

As ancient as it gets!

The origin of Angkor goes back to the 12th century, and was built during the Khmer empire by King Suryavarman II. It was built as a Hindu temple and was gradually transformed to a Buddhist temple site with time. It is dedicated to God Vishnu and is revered as a Hindu-Buddhist temple and is oriented towards the west direction unlike most temples here.

Visiting Angkor is a once in a lifetime experience, and we highly recommend it as one of the must-haves on your bucket list. It is a place like no other, and is rightfully the eighth wonder of the world now.