Bayon

Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at ancient city of Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th century or early 13th century as the official state temple of creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia's legendary king, Jayavarman VII, Bayon is unique even among its cherished contemporaries stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital the Angkor Thom.

Best of all, a collection of 54 gothic towers decorated with 216 eerie smiling, enormous faces of Avalokiteshvara that bear more than a passing resemblance to the great king himself. These huge heads glare down from every angle, exuding power and control with a hint of humanity and this was precisely the blend required to hold sway over such a vast empire, ensuring the disparate and far-flung population yielded to his magnanimous will. As you walk around, a dozen or more of the heads are visible at any one time and almost level with your eyes or staring down from on high.

For many years Bayon’s origins were not known. Shrouded in dense jungle, it also took researchers some time to realize that it stands in the exact centre of the city of Angkor Thom. There is still much mystery associated with Bayon such as its exact function and symbolism and this seems only appropriate for a monument whose signature is an enigmatic smiling face.

The eastward orientation of Bayon leads most people to visit it early in the morning, preferably just after sunrise, when the sun inches upwards, lighting face after face with warmth. Bayon, however, looks equally good in the late afternoon, and if you stay for the sunset you get the same effect as the sunrise, in reverse.