Despite the mythical assumption that the ruins of Angkor Wat had been rediscovered by the French naturalist Henri Mouhot (1826-1861), the temples of today's archaeological park had never ceased to be a source of spiritual inspiration for the Khmers.
On my latest visit to Angkor Wat, I was certainly reminded of this fact.
As the temple of Angkor is facing the West, it has become a popular hit among the sightseers to come and watch the sunrise as a spectacular backdrop over its magnificent structure.
 |
| Eastern gallery at sunrise |
Of course, I did it too. But the last time I was there, not many people were visiting the site, albeit at such an early hour of the day!
However now, hundreds of visitors wake up at 4.00am and make the trip to Angkor Wat to be among the happy few to be able to watch the sunrise.
Yet, this time, I left the crowd of onlookers just after the peep of the day in order to get a feel of the temple loneliness before the usual flow of visitors. A few other people did the same thing. So we had the whole temple deprived of visitors. At the eastern gate, the first rays of the sunlight bring a magical touch on the stones and the bas-reliefs.
Then I started hearing light local music. My first thought was that it was a hidden sound system which was at the source of the music. I soon found out that a group of Cambodians was actually having a religious ceremony at the foot of the temple on the eastern side!
We were a handful of visitors attending a ceremony that was just ongoing. There were three distinct groups. A group of players with traditional instruments was sitting into a musical circle. A rectangular rattan rug held another group made of elderly women busy preparing the arrangements and the food offerings. And right in the middle, there was a small mixed group with an elderly guy chanting. At their back, a vast display of food offerings was carefully disposed among the fumes of candles and incense.
Angkor Wat has never ceased to keep its spiritual attraction. It was truly a magical moment.
Christian Sorand
No comments:
Post a Comment