Angkor Wat : Vishnu in temple

Photographer

Hays, Margaret P.

Date

• ca. 1954-ca. 1955

Summary

• Large stone figure of Vishnu. As the central figure in the Hindu creation story the Churning of the Sea of Milk, around which the cosmological construction of Angkor Wat is based, as well as the central deity of Suryavarman II's reign, Vishnu is central to Angkor Wat. It is believed that a statue similar to this was originally placed in the highest chamber of the central tower. It was from this tower that, from the Khmer perspective, Suryavarman II and Vishnu were intertwined as sacred rulers of the kingdom. For more information on the cosmological construction of Angkor Wat see Eleanor Mannikka's 'Angkor Wat: Time, Space, and Kingship.'