Baphuan Temple in Angkor Thom, Cambodia
Picture Courtesy of Vong Meng The Baphuon Temple was one of Angkor's most glorious monuments and its first real archetectural failure. Many of the monuments of Angkor are build on sand filled pits. But in Baphuon the buildings of the empire met the end of that technology's usefulness. For the size of Baphuon, surpassed only by Angkor Wat itself a century later, proved too heavy for the sand foundation it rested upon and sections of the temple eventually collapsed.
Like most of the area's temples, Baphuon is a stylized representation of Mt. Meru. The temple measures roughly 1400 feet by 400 feet. When it is open to the public, the climb to the top of Baphuon provides an excellent view of the surrounding area. But it may not be open to the public again until late 2004, when current renovation work is expected to be complete.
Picture Courtesy of Vong Meng Baphuon was built in the second have of the 11th Century and dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It was the representation of Mt. Meru built for the reign of King Utyadityavarman II (1050-1086). When Chou Ta-Kuan visited Angkor in 1296-97 as part of a delegation from China, he was impressed with Baphuan; at the time the temple was evidently crowned with a copper spire that rose to 142 feet -- higher than the top of Bayon (which at the time was domed in gold).
The weight of Baphuon on the settling sand and the erosion underneath the temple due to rain meant that eventually the structure collapsed in sections. During the 15th Century nature got a helping hand in the reshaping of Baphuon; it was remade into a Buddhist temple, and parts of the old Baphuon were demolished so that the blocks could be used to construct a large reclining Buddha.
The best feature of the Baphuon is it's sculpturing and bas-reliefs. The temple's lintel, door frames and columns protray stories from the Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The style of the carvings is not Rococo yet in the level of ornateness. The scenes from everyday life are fascinating: a tiger chasing a hermit who is trying to get away by climbing a tree; a hunter using a blowpipe to bag a bird; holy men in prayer; etc.
The story of the restoration of Baphuan is a saga in it's own right. The Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient (EFEO) had been involved in resotring monuments at Angkor since 1908. In 1975, while work on Baphuon was underway, the Khmer Rouge drove them from the site. A worker for the agency had foreseen this possibility and made some preparations, but ultimately the Khmer Rouge's action resulted in the 300,000 stones of Baphuon being left scattered over some 10 hectares of jungle. They were numbered, but the records explaining how the numbering system worked were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. Twenty years later whent he EFEO was allowed to return, they returned to a jigsaw puzzle. Fortunately, over 900 photos of Baphuan dating back to as early as 1910 existed atthe EFEO offices in Paris. And by the end of 2004 the temple may be restored to the point of allowing public access...
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