One notices that the stones are stacked one over the other and there is no grout or mortar. There is also no iron rod or plate supporting the stones. it is possible that the construction predated the use of iron in the structures. But the stones have to be cut and sized for use. I am told that Mayans built their stone pyramids without any iron tools. Apparently stone tools can be created to find solutions of engineering problems.
I walked to the backside of the temples. I saw a massive rubble of stones, several storey high, possibly an old palace. Restoration to the palace was continuing and it was not open for public. I walked around it, imagined the construction plan and the design. Unlike Indian counterparts back on the subcontinent, this building was a pure stone structure without any decorations.
I traced my way out of the premises. The swarm of children was waiting for me. They were eager to make a sale. The summer was not a great time for the tourists and there were only few. Some younger college students were moving around on their vacation, but the children had guessed that I could be a potential buyer. Suddenly a kid said "take it for a dollar". I learned that the market freely uses American currency. I bought a picture book from a kid and bought a cap from the shop nearby. The kid's mother helped me locate the size for my head. The cap indeed was a big relief! The mother had motherly affection.
This area is called Bayon now. It could be a distortion from a nice Indian word liike Brahma as I witness in my next stop. A large smiling face was looking from the top of the gate. Brahma has four faces such that he can see in all directions. These sculptures sometimes also have four faces, all similar.
This new place was more of a large compound. Apparently it was used as a palace and a temple. We were passing through one gate, but there were gates on all four sides. One has to walk about quarter of a mile from the gate to reach the temple. The temple entrance had two massive snakes (naga) constructed on both sides. The curvature of the snake needs mortar and so, one can guess that the temple is a later creation.
In the temple hall, there was a golden Buddha statue, which was obviously a replacement of what was there before. A man was sitting in attendance and the statue is worshiped by the believers. I have not been particularly fascinated by physical incarnations of the divine. The whole spread of Buddhism as a cult phenomenon stunned me. In the modified faith of Buddha worship, one is expected to be healed by the Buddha. People offer various article to gain a favor. Possibly the tradition from the olden times has revived.
In the olden times, Bayon was a city by itself until another king built the Angkor complex to the south. The exact reason for the move is not known, some think it was inadequate supply of water. Since Angkor is a Vishnu complex, I would think that Bayon was rejected in favor of building a Vishnu Temple. But then, all were abandoned when Thais and Burmese came invading. Certainly the kings who built big temples, did not care to support a big army. The entire area was forested and big trees grew around. It was accidentally discovered in the nineteenth century by a French traveler.
The Temple construction and the sculptures are lately being labeled as Khmer architecture, a modified form of the Hindu art. The principal difference is the serpent sculpture in the front and a typical tall head dress for the statues. It is not clear if the Indian sculptors trained the local artisans to build the temples or if the entire construction management was Indian in origin. I would assume that the lack of a metal frame possibly has caused the massive dilapidation as observed.
While passing I must remark that Buddhism has saved to protect the ancient ruins. The French occupied the land in the later part of the nineteenth century and there was massive exploitation. Cambodians survived through their Buddhist faith and did not fall into the colonial habits. But the after-effects of colonial occupation manifested in mutual rivalry among the tribes and the resulting utter devastation has ruined the great tradition.
