7. Angkor National Museum
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| Angkor National Museum |
No pictures
allowed; surveillance cameras, signs and personnel everywhere. I wondered why
they wanted no pictures being taken.
Anyhow, this
Museum was our next excursion, and even though we don’t have that many pictures
of our visit, it was a good outing.
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| Galleries Surround This Central Reflecting Pool |
The museum was
not far from the Hotel, still we tuk-tuked to it. Walking is just too dirty and
hazardous an affair in some areas.
Admission was a
bit steep, $12/person seems an outrage, but we wanted to see what the place had
to offer.
The Museum is
divided into sections called galleries.
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| Gallery Pictures Taken From Brochure |
Where to
begin? Each headline needs a lot of study
to get into it a bit deeper… I cannot write this blog showing details, you will
fall asleep, reading it. The least interesting to me was the Great Khmer Kings,
names I would never remember, but… those were the guys who made Cambodia what
it is today. Those kings ruled over the people, fought wars, brought in
religions from neighboring India, hired artisans, lived the high life and established
etiquette. Their names are all but forgotten in the bigger world, but here in
Cambodia school children still learn about them.
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| The Gallery Explained the Meaning of Various Hand Positions |
The Gallery
with a 1000 Buddha images? Each position
of the hands on otherwise the same statues has or gives a message. It’s all
very subtle, all very low key, but all with deeper meanings. It’s not just a
sleeping Buddha; notice how he holds his hands, arms, feet. Notice he sleeps on
his right side so his heart is elevated. All stuff that even modern medicine now
studies.
Ah, the famous
Khmer Civilization, how did it start?
What made them so powerful? How
big was their reign? When exactly was it? They did not leave books, written
records. All we have is stones.
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| Sandstone Asura (Demon) With Malevolent Expression |
All of Cambodia
even today is based on religion. Today 95% are Buddhists. While it is Buddhist,
it still has imagery from India woven in. Or it shows in statues and art how
Buddhism now overshadows Hinduism. Again, it’s subtle but it’s there, visible.
What exactly is
there in Angkor Wat? This architectural representation of Paradise on Earth;
the largest Hindu Temple in the world needs to be explained a bit. Well at the
museum they give you a good insight.
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| Sandstone Deva (God) With Benevolent Expression |
And how about
Angkor Thom, what do we know about this former, great Capital of the Khmer.
Here you can see the changes in their religious beliefs; can see what a
splendid city it must have been at its height.
It is just an
amazing place to visit or to study; before you even travel out to the ruins go
the Museum.
Apsara: Dancing, celestial nymphs, sent by the gods,
representing the gods. Those mythical
beings are sending messages in their dance positions. Notice the way they are
dressed. Full of exquisite fashion detail but oh, so subtle, so totally
understated yet the way they dress is evidence of rank.
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| Batik Painting on Cotton - $280 US |
There are
stories in stone, inscriptions, legends, lives and beliefs but...
It takes a
lifetime to learn those things.
The National
Museum is for the scholar, for the person who wants to study the deeper depth
of the ancient way of living.
Carol and I
were like neophytes, trying to take it all in.
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| Traditional Khmer Scarves in Museum Boutique |
I was confused
and my brain hurt after a while.
Yes, it was a
great outing but way over my head in reading all those subtleties. I never had
this in school.
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| Wooden Model of Angkor Wat in Museum Boutique |
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| Painting of Angkor Wat at Dawn on Summer Solstice in Museum Foyer |
