Accession Number | P03258.303 |
---|---|
Collection type | Photograph |
Object type | Negative |
Maker |
Smith, Heide |
Place made | Cambodia |
Date made | 1993 |
Conflict |
Period 1990-1999 Cambodia (UNTAC), 1992-1993 |
Copyright |
Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial![]() |
Two of the 54 'asura', or demons, which line the right hand side of the southern entrance bridge ...
Two of the 54 'asura', or demons, which line the right hand side of the southern entrance bridge to the late twelfth century State Temple complex of Angkor Thom, built by King Jayavarman VII in the northern province of Siem Reap. Each demon grasps in his arms the long body of the 'naga' snake, a Buddhist symbol of wisdom and justice traditionally represented as a seven headed cobra. On the left side of the bridge, a line of 54 gods similarly pulls on another 'naga' (see P03258.304), allowing both sides to 'churn the sea of milk' - a reference to the creation of the water of life. The 'naga' bridge, symbolising a path between the worlds of gods and man, crosses over a 100 metre wide moat representing the waters of the world. The moat has long since overgrown, and livestock now graze on its sunken surface in the background. Repairs in concrete have been undertaken on this particular 'asura' and with the arrival of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), and after years of neglect during and after the Khmer Rouge regime, restoration projects were restarted on this and the other temple complexes of Angkor, with much of the work funded internationally by UNESCO and countries including Australia, Japan and India.