Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

News: Angkor Wat temple, located in northern province of Siem Reap in Cambodia, has defeated Pompeii in Italy to become the eighth Wonder of the World.

Background:
• The unofficial title “Eighth Wonder of the World” is sometimes given to buildings, structures, projects, designs, or even people who are thought to be comparable to the seven Wonders of the World.

About:
• Angkor Wat also holds the Guinness World Records for being the largest religious structure in the world.
• The Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple by the Khmer Emperor Suryavarman II. The temple was dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and gradually converted into a major Buddhist temple by his successor Jayavarman VII, who also built the famous Buddhist temple of Bayon nearby.
• Angkor is also famous for its statue of eight-armed Vishnu, also believed and worshipped by the locals as their protecting deity.
• One of the interesting facts about Angkor Wat is that it is also popularly called Yasodharapura.
• The name Angkor is derived from nokor, a Khmer word meaning “kingdom,” which is derived from Sanskrit nagara, which means “city.”
• The magnificent architect of Angkor Wat makes it a wonder. The structure is built of sandstone blocks.
• A 15-foot-high wall surrounded by a wide moat protected the city, temple, and residents from invasion, and much of that fortification remains.