Centuries after they were mysteriously abandoned,the ruins of Angkor Wat continue to guard their secretsThe rain betrayed no signs of easing up. It continued to trickle down,much as it had over the course of the nightmy first in the Cambodian province of Siem Reap. The tired rented car I was in continued to push forward,egged on by my guide Kong Kea. His name meant big water,I was told. Rather apt,given the weather he was probably used to.Moving swiftly past tall treesand the occasional,dim,flash of light reflecting off small pondsI wondered about Henri Mouhot. A nineteenth-century French explorer,Mouhot is the man erroneously credited with finding the lost temples of Angkor Wat. They were never lost,apparently. The Khmer people had always been aware of the astonishing,silent sentinels hidden in the forest. Several Westerners had also visited the ruins in the sixteenth century. Still,thanks to enthusiastic supporters at the Royal Geographical and Zoological Societies,Mouhots discovery had slowly gained credence. At Ongcor [sic, he wrote in one of his journals,there are ruins of such grandeur that,at the first view,one is filled with profound admiration,and cannot but ask what has become of this powerful race,so civilised,so enlightened,the authors of these gigantic works How would he react,I wondered,to the millions now following in his footsteps,year after year?And then,abruptly,the subject of Mouhots writing came into view through the rain. All I could see at first were its instantly recognisable towers,standing tall above the green forest cover and large moat surrounding it. The car then rolled to a stop before the concrete pathway spanning the moat,and Angkor Wat stood grey and dark in its splendour,before me. Separated by a body of water,it was easier to understand why the complex had been built the way it had. According to my guide,Angkor was to represent,in accordance with Hindu mythology,the home of the godsMount Meru. Held within the moat and outer wall were three galleries,each raised a little above the next. At the centre stood the temple,whose iconic spires now appeared on everything from the countrys national flag to cans of local beer.The Hindu influence fit in with what the textbooks proclaimed. The Khmers were followers of Hinduism at the time Angkor was built for King Suryavarman II in the twelfth century. Although they later turned to Buddhism two centuries later (and are Buddhist to this day),the devtas or demi-gods adorning the temple walls still bore allegiance to classic Hindu myth. Dedicated to lord Vishnu,Angkor was to be the state temple and capital city. Interestingly,its original name is still unknown. Historians believe it may have been called Vrah Vishnulok. By the sixteenth century though,the name Angkor Watvernacular for city templewas widely in use. Keeping history aside for the moment though,I plunged into the ruins. Patches of green lay on either side,the colour broken by massive columns and remnants of stone structures. It was as if I had walked into a construction site recently abandoned by workers who were off to lunch. What surprised me most,as I stepped into the temple galleries,was the strong influence of Hinduism everywhere. The inner walls of the temples outer gallery bore massive bas-relief friezes depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Apart from the stunning architecture,what gives Angkor much of its character is its mysterious past. When King Suryavarman died,work on the temple stopped abruptly. Angkor was then sacked by enemies of the Khmer people,the Chams,and restored by a new king,Jayavarman VII. The temple was neglected again by the sixteenth century,but survived the relentless onslaught of the forest by virtue of being protected by its 190-metre wide moat. After the nineteenth century came to a closebringing with it French explorers devoted to restoring Angkors lost grandeurthe twentieth century saw the rise of the infamous Khmer Rouge. There was little damage to temple structures during that bloody reign,but a large number of statues were stolen or destroyed. The passage of time still refused to guarantee peace. Riots erupted in Cambodias capital Phnom Penh in 2003,after a false rumour spread,of a Thai soap star claiming Angkor belonged to Thailand. I spent my remaining days at the Angkor Archaeological Park,exploring some of the many fabulous sites it offered the patient tourist. Considering it stretched over 400 square kilometres,there was much I had to pick and choose from. I restricted my exploration to the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (right next to Angkor Wat); the temple of Bayon,famous for its 216 giant stone faces on 54 towers; the gorgeous Elephant Terrace; the pretty,red-coloured intricate temple of Banteay Srei,25 kilometres from Angkor Wat.Camera and map in hand,I moved from site to site,dodging ever-increasing groups of tourists. I was informed,French tourists do overrun the ruins as the year comes to a close. They feel an affinity with the place,I suppose,considering their nation controlled Cambodia from 1863 until as late as 1953. For now,I was free to wander,stepping over blocks of stone numbered with white chalk,massive jigsaw puzzles waiting to be put in place by archaeologists from around the world. By the time I left Cambodia,I had new respect for the mysterious Khmer empire that had faded away all those centuries ago,leaving behind nothing but stone. Jayavarman VII had,apparently,spoken of his intentions in erecting some of the temples. He wanted to bestow on men the ambrosia of remedies to win them immortality By virtue of these good works would that I might rescue all those who are struggling in the ocean of existence [sic These days,when the rain pours over Mumbai,I sometimes think of Angkor. As I push through my citys chaotic streets,I think of temples that refuse to reveal their mysteries. The demi-gods guarding those walls then come to mind. Could they have liked having me,and others like me,wander down passages once reserved for kings? The rain - there,as here,betrays nothing. Getting there: Your best option is to fly into Siem Reap City,via Bangkok. Its a tourist hub offering everything from five-star accommodation to car rentals and educated guides. Do your homework online,and all should be well. Theres an airport entry and departure tax though,and a tourist pass is necessary in order to visit the temples.Best time to visit: Considering Angkor is usually hot and sticky,November to February is your best bet.Accommodation: The best hotels are located between Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport and the town,along National Road 6. Celebrities are reported to have stayed at some of these hotels,so you shouldnt have much to complain about.Eating: Small snack shops serve local fare near the major attractions. Try these at your own risk though.Shopping: Souvenirs can be picked up everywhere,and hard bargaining helps. You can get hand-carved replicas of the devtas adorning the walls of Angkor.
