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A Rainy Day in Cambodia

The Smiling Faces of Bayon- The Center of Angkor Thom, Camboida

Posted on September 28, 2013May 10, 2021

Out of nowhere the rain started falling heavily as we were nearing Angkor. My heart sank, I have had way too much of rain on many of my trips this year. I was left wondering if I would see Angkor in pouring rain! It was not what I wanted. Heavy rains mean the camera stays in the bag and the umbrella comes out. I did not want it at any cost.

However as we neared one of the gates to Angkor Thom, the rain miraculously stopped. Bayon is at the center of Angkor Thom, the ancient capital of the King Jayavarman VII. People from my group told me not to Google it and wait till I saw it. With a lot of difficulty I managed to stay away from searching about it the night before.

Bayon, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Bayon, Siem Reap, Cambodia

The first look was quite impressive. If I could have it my way I would have stood rooted to this spot by the water for at least half an hour. Alas it was not to be, our guide the soft spoken Sophiya asked us to move on after what felt like just 5 minutes to me. The temple is said to have been built in the late 12 or early 13th century. When we are talking about such ancient times, what difference does a mere few years make?

The Murals on the Wall, Bayon

The Murals on the Wall, Bayon, Cambodia

On the outer walls of the temple there are intricate carvings that depict the history, war and the way of life in Cambodia at that time. Water, boats, fish and crocodile also feature prominently.

The Smiling Faces of Bayon, Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Smiling Faces of Bayon, Angkor Thom, Cambodia

The most striking feature of the temple are the giant smiling faces that beam from the upper terrace of the temple. King Jayavarman VII was a follower of Mahayana Buddhism but later on the temple acquired features from Hinduism and later Theravada Buddhism. I remember the day as quite humid, my hair went completely limp by the time we were about to leave the place.

The Smiling Faces of Bayon, Another Look

The Smiling Faces of Bayon- Another Look

In spite of the heat and the humidity and the carrot of visiting another temple Ta Phrom (Lara Croft The Tomb Raider has scenes from Ta Phrom), Sophiya had to cajole and cox us to get out of Bayom. He even mentioned an air-conditioned bus and cold water waiting for us but we still took our time. In the end I can only say for a place like Angkor and Bayon once is just not enough.

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24 thoughts on “The Smiling Faces of Bayon- The Center of Angkor Thom, Camboida”

  1. Meghana says:
    September 29, 2013 at 1:11 am

    Amazing post…

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 4:02 pm

      Thank you Meghana.

      Reply
  2. Harsha says:
    September 29, 2013 at 2:50 am

    Heard a lot about this Temple for its build up..Even now after so many years it look majestic…

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:56 pm

      It is an absolutely enchanting place and not so expensive to travel to. 😀

      Reply
  3. Rajesh says:
    September 29, 2013 at 5:02 am

    Awesome post and pictures.

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:55 pm

      Thank you Rajesh.

      Reply
  4. KVVS MURTHY says:
    September 29, 2013 at 9:24 am

    The temple stood apart from all.It’s smiling faces have some mystical beauty..! Great pics..best of luck..!

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:54 pm

      Thank you Murthy it is a special place!

      Reply
  5. Anuradha Shankar says:
    September 29, 2013 at 10:34 am

    Beautiful!!!! it was really lucky that the rain stopped. else we wouldnt have been able to see such a beautiful place!

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:54 pm

      Anu 😀 I so want to go back with Chhavi!

      Reply
  6. indu chhibber says:
    September 29, 2013 at 12:17 pm

    Mridula thanks a lot for showing me beautiful places round the world.

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:53 pm

      Indu 😀 thank you for your lovely comment.

      Reply
  7. Anita says:
    September 29, 2013 at 1:48 pm

    Wow! So want to visit AngkorVat!
    In my Travel plans! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:53 pm

      Anita I hope you head there soon.

      Reply
  8. amasc says:
    September 29, 2013 at 6:27 pm

    One visit is never enough and no visit is long enough. I lived in Vietnam for four years and over that time clocked up five visits to Ankor Wat. I would go back tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your experiences of this amazing site.

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:52 pm

      Amasc wow 4 years in Vietnam would have been something!

      Reply
  9. Avinash says:
    September 29, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    Wow. Combodia looks so vibrant. Great post

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:51 pm

      Avinash the place has such a sad recent history and yet so much ancient glory!

      Reply
  10. njoy every moment says:
    September 30, 2013 at 12:16 am

    Lovely and descriptive post ….the carvings of temple are beautiful 🙂 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:48 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  11. Niranjan says:
    September 30, 2013 at 11:43 am

    Excellent post. Bayon looks so inviting.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/09/masinagudi-amidst-wilderness.html

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:47 pm

      Thank you Niranjan.

      Reply
  12. Bharti says:
    September 30, 2013 at 5:23 pm

    Combodia has been on my travel wishlist for so long. This was a very useful post indeed and thanks for sharing.
    Did you travel alone or had company? Asking because I would like to know if it is safe for a lone female backpacker. I have been advised not to travel alone to Combodia.
    Cheers,
    Bharti.

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      October 2, 2013 at 3:46 pm

      Bharti I was there as part of a media group, invited as a blogger by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. So I was not alone. Siem Reap did not feel unsafe at all. Do drop a line if you wish to chat more about it.

      Reply

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About Me

I am Mridula Dwivedi and I started this blog in 2005. It has been an amazing ride. I have visited 33 countries till date! I have worked with many tourism boards and prominent travel companies. My blog was featured on the BBC and the Guardian.

I did my Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur. I worked full time in academics till 2015! I quit my job as a professor, thinking I will take a break for one year, which turned into five.

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