One of the largest religious monuments in the world is Angkor Way in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The Khmer translation, Angkor Was means “City Temple”. This was not the original name given to the temple, there are no texts or inscriptions on what the temple was called. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay This temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, who was one of the three chief gods of the Hindu pantheon. Vishnu is known as the “Protector”. King Suryavarman II is the main patron of Angkor Was, his name translates to "protector of the sun". Besides being dedicated to Vishnu, the temple was built to also serve as the king's mausoleum during his death. In 1116 AD construction of the temple began, which was finished in 1150. By building the temples, this ensured that the Khmer kings were in charge of the political office and claimed the protection and powers of the gods. Hindu temples were not considered places of religious congregation, but homes for the gods. Kings had to provide proof that the gods did not support their predecessors or enemies to claim political office. There were a total of 300,000 workers in the construction of the temple. It took 30 years to complete the construction of the temple. There are 8 different Hindu stories carved in a 1,2000 square meter relief in Angkor Wast. One of the most important stories is the churning of the ocean of milk. It tells the story of the beginning of time and the creation of the universe, as well as the victory of good and evil. In the story, the gods battle demons to reclaim order and power for the gods who have lost it. The elixir of life must be released from the earth so that peace and order can be recovered. But to do this the gods and demons must work together. In an aerial view, you can see that Angkor Was shows that the temple consists of a surrounding wall, this separates the temple grounds from the surrounding protective moat. The actual one consists of three galleries with a central sanctuary and features five stone towers. The stone towers are supposed to represent the five mountain ranges of Mount Meru, which is the mythical abode of the gods for both Hindus and Buddhists. Southeast Asian architects imagined temples to be dedicated to Hindu gods in representation of Mt. Meru. The spaces and tunnels created between them and the moat are supposed to represent the mountain ranges and oceans that surround it. Besides being the home of the gods, it is also considered the axis mundi. This means that it is an axis that connects the earth and the sky. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In some Sanskrit and Khmer texts, religious monuments and temples must be specially arranged to be in harmony with the universe, which means the temple should be designed according to the rising of the sun and moon. As well as symbolizing the recurring timeline of days, months and years. The central axis within the temples should also be aligned with the planet. The Angkor Was temple continues to play an important role in Cambodia, although the majority of the population is Buddhist. Since the 15th century, Buddhists have been using the temple and many visitors will see Buddhist monks and nuns worshiping at the site. The silhouette of Angkor Was was emblazoned on the Cambodian flag.