The giant smiling faces of Angkor - Revisited

This is a new version of an earlier post, with the image reworked in photoshop. Bayon is one of my favourite temple in the region of Angkor. To be fully appreciated, it needs to be visited early in the morning for two main reasons: the place turns into a zoo when the large operators bring their hord of tourists by bus loads (from 9AM onwards)... and the light just after sunrise is just amazing creating moving shadows between the smiling giants.

Angkor - Of Ruins & Roots (19)

Bayon Temple

Black & white variation...

The Apsaras - Cambodia

Modern version of an apsara dancer posing within the Bayon Temple.

The Bayon Temple - Cambodia

Many devotees visit small wats within the temple and pray in front of well decorated representation of Buddha.

The Bayon Temple - Cambodia

The Bayon temple was built at the centre of city of Angkor Thom by the King Jayavarman VII. Each tower bears four faces, facing the four cardinal points. There are 54 towers in total and therefore 216 smiling faces.

The Bayon Temple - Cambodia

If I had to rank the temples of Angkor, I would place the Bayon on the top of the list, followed by Phnom Bakheng and Ta Prohm. If the outskirt temples would be considered, then Koh Ker and Beng Mealea would share the second and third position!

The Bayon Temple - Cambodia

More of the enigmatic smiling faces of the temple of Bayon.

The Bayon Temple - Cambodia

Early morning, the light plays with the faces of the Bodhisattva (black & white rendition).

The Bayon Temple - Cambodia

From afar, the Bayon temple looks like one of these sand castles kids create by letting wet sand drip from their fingers. It is at close range and especially on the third level that one will be amazed by the towers bearing the enormous smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara.

If your trip schedule permits it, I would highly recommend the visit of this site early morning as you will have the temple almost entirely for yourself from 7am to 8am. By 10am, the crowd will be so large that you will not be able to appreciate it fully. Additionally, the morning light plays with the faces and offer interesting photographic opportunities.