Temple Glossary
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...Temple Glossary
The Ancient Angkor Guidebook ‘Temple Guide’ makes reference to some architectural terms, and to some Buddhist and Hindu deities, with which readers may be unfamiliar. The following glossary is designed to assist visitors in their understanding and enjoyment of this remarkable World Heritage Site.
Architectural Terms
Anastylosis: A painstaking method of reconstructing buildings whereby separate stones or bricks are removed individually, numbered and eventually returned to their original places in the structure. Anastylosis was used extensively during the reconstruction of many of the Angkorian temples and its effectiveness can be witnessed in the beauty of places such as the restored Thommanon temple.
Gopura: Entrance pavilion or gateway affording access to a temple.
Laterite: A type of local volcanic, iron-bearing stone, from which most of the Angkorian temples were built. Most of the laterite stone used at Angkor was quarried from the areas around Phnom Bok and Banteay S’rey. Its strength made it excellent for use in foundations and super structures, but it was difficult to carve. Carvings were generally executed in sandstone, meaning that many of the temples were completed in a combination of laterite and sandstone.
Linga: Included in the ‘Spirits and Deities’ section below because of its association with the Hindu god Shiva.
Lintel: The horizontal stone running across the top of a door or window. At Angkor many of the lintels bear exquisite carvings.
Jamb: The two upright sections on either side of a door or entrance.
Prasat: Tower.
Stele: A carved stone, often used in ancient buildings to signify the deity or patron to which a building was dedicated. Steles found around the Angkor complex often refer to Hindu deities.
Khmer Words and Terms
Angkor Wat: ‘Sacred’ or ‘capital’ city.
Banteay: Sacred dwelling place.
Baray: Reservoir.
Boeung: Lake (for example the Boeung Kak in the northern suburbs of Phnom Penh).
Phnom: Used to describe a hill (Phnom Penh means “the hill of Penh”) or a mountain (Phnom Kulen is known locally as Kulen Mountain).
Preah: Holy / sacred (used as a prefix to several temple names: Preah Vihear).
Spean: River (Kbal Spean).
Thom: Big (Angkor Thom means ‘Angkor big’).
Spirits and Deities
Apsara: The celestial female dancers brought to life during the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Carvings of Apsaras can be found on many of the Angkorian temples. The rendering of these beings in stone was particularly accomplished at Angkor Wat and Bayon, where the sculptors’ skills have survived the ravages of time.
Bodhisattvas: The name for a type of benign and compassionate spirit in Mahayana Buddhism. There is some strength to the argument that the numerous, enigmatic faces that grace the Bayon are Bodhisattvas, or a hybrid of the face of Jayavarman VII and a Bodhisattva. By the time the Bayon was built, in the late 12th Century, Buddhism had become the dominant faith in Cambodia.
Brahma: The First God and Creator, according to Brahmanism, the Indian faith that bears his name. Brahmanism places great importance in the balance of the universe. Contrasts between male and female, dark and light and good and evil are often found in its symbolism and numerology. Brahm, the Khmer word for ‘five’, may have its roots in the name Brahma. The number 5 is still considered a very lucky number in many parts of Asia. There are five towers protecting the sanctuary of Angkor Wat and five peaks to the mythical Mt. Meru.
Devatas: Similar in appearance to Apsaras, and often mistakenly referred to as Apsaras, Devatas are the standing sacred-feminine beings (deities) portrayed at many of the temples. Apsaras are celestial dancers.
Garuda: The fabled steed of the Hindu god Vishnu.
Laksmi: The Hindu Goddess of Wealth and Beauty and wife of Vishnu. Legend tells that she was re-created during the Churning of the Ocean of Milk.
Linga: A linga-worshipping cult was established in Cambodia during the reign of the first god-king, Jayavarman II. A linga is a male fertility totem, usually carved from stone, and is one of the many incarnations of the Hindu god Shiva. The name of the pedestal on which the linga was set is called an Uma. The Uma represented the female sexual organs. Uma is another name for the goddess Kali, consort of Shiva.
Mount Meru: The mythical, ocean-bounded pyramid-mountain that was the dwelling place of the Hindu deities and demigods. The form of Mount Meru was reproduced in many of the Angkorian Temples.
Naga: The word naga means ‘serpent’ in Sanskrit. Cambodian Nagas are usually in the form of a multi-headed cobra. However, nagas pervade many ancient cultures from Egypt and India to China and can appear in other forms. For example, in China the naga is depicted as a dragon, but the dragon still possesses the naga’s immortal, eternal and medicinal characteristics.
Raja: The Sanskrit word for ‘king’. When combined with another Sanskrit word deva, meaning ‘god’, you end with the term devaraja: literally ‘god-king’.
Shiva: A principal god of the Hindu pantheon. In Cambodia the significance of Shiva is marked by the cult of the linga (see above).
Vishnu: A principal god of Hinduism, Vishnu (The Protector) is the god who supports the globe.
Yama: Is the Hindu Lord of the Infernal Regions, also known as The Restrainer. He keeps in check the willful behaviour of humanity with the aid of a mace and a noose. He is often depicted riding on a black buffalo.
