The kingdom of Angkor on the land of Khmer people in 9th century donated one of the world's heritages of man made architecture comparable to the art of ancient Greece and Rome. This great architecture is known as Angkor Wat meaning Angkor temple. The temple is located 5.5 kms north of present day Reap town, on the place called Baphuan. Here are found many remnants of ancient heritages. Historical researches disclosed that the temple was built under the reign of king Suryawarman II in 12th century. Who was king Suryawarman II, reminds unsolved question, especially if he was direct descendant of Pre-Angkor royal lineage or from Indonesia. Since during 9th century the relation of Java and kingdoms on Khmer land recorded on annals, inscriptions and chronicle of Arabian trader. Main information gathered from those data are various raids on Khmer land by a group of soldiers from Java. Even on Khmer inscription of 11th century mentions that a king from Java ruled Indrapura or town of Indra, or at least mentioned about the country with Hindu as the main belief.

As a great king of Khmer, now Cambodia, a name appeared on old inscription of Khmer mentioning Kambujadeca, has magnified historians to know him more detail, but still remains open to the question until today. Not as clear as Emperor Vespasian who built Colosseum in Rome or the Pharaoh of Tuthan Kamun who built the pyramid in Egypt, Sri Kahulunan who constructed Borobudur temple in Indonesia, and Shah Jehan who built Taj Mahal in India. Most historians thought that the great kingdom of Angkor was started by king Jayawarman ( there are assumption of 2 kings with the name Jayawarman ) with long time of reign, historians thought that would not make sense only 1 person, and made assumption that there must had been 2 Jayawarman, and they gave name Jayawarman I and Jayawarman II, and consider that Jayawarman was direct descendant of Pre-Angkor royal palace, but they do not have any proof. Prof. G. Coedes for example linked him with Sambhupura royal palace, also one of Khmer kingdom under the king Mahipativarman. His king later found to have to have been defeated by Cailandra dynasty who ruled Central Indonesia with the center of kingdom in Central Java from 7 - 10th century, while West Indonesia was ruled by Sriwijaya kingdom based on Sumatra island, Malay and south Thailand.

In 8th century the kingdom of Mataram under Cailendra dynasty was on golden age, the establishment of Kalasan temple for Hindu and Borobudur for Buddhist. Yet the fact that since 8th century Cailendra kings follow Shivaitic worship proved by various remnants around Yogyakarta such as Prambanan temple, and Dieng ruins show earlier construction of the complex. It was probable that the coming of Mahayana Buddhism had caused some princes left the palace such as Prince Gajayana moved and built other Shiva temple in east java in 760 AD near modern city of Malang, and was much probable that Rakai Panunggalan also left the palace to take advantage in Khmer when the situation of Khmer under Princes Jayadewi splitted into Land Chenla and Water Chenla. Again Water Chenla broken into various small kingdoms each fought for supremacy.

In 767 AD Vietnamese Annals mentioned that the southern region of Khmer and the delta were invaded by bands from Java, and one of the manuscript in West Java known as Parahyangan mentioned king Sanjaya sent an expedition to Bali, Sumatra, Cambodia, and China. Inscriptions found in Cambodia mentioned twice raids, first raid was bounced back by king of Chams, but second raid burning Hindu temples in 787 AD. This raid was noted also by Arab writer Abu Zaid Hasan who got the information from a merchant named Sulaiman who visited Angkor in 851 AD. The legend sais that Chenla was invaded by Javanese. On inscription from 802 AD, just 40 years before Borobudur temple inaugurated, king Jayawarman II establish himself as Cakravartin in Kambujadeca ( king of Khmer ), commemorated the ritual of " Devaraja" or god king and establish the lingga 9 Shivaitic sectarian of Hindu. It is probable hat since this inauguration the kingdom established their based in Angkor. During this time in Indonesia was flourishing the kingdom of Mataram under Sanjaya king with Shivaitic sectarian at one part and the development of Mahayana Buddhist in the palace. There is an opinion among historians that the acceptance of palace on Buddhism had caused some princes left the palace to continue the worship of Shiva at other places.

After the death of Jayawarman II appeared the king with the name Surayawarman II ( 1113 - 1150 AD ). It is supposed that during the reign of this king that the Angkor Wat was constructed, but no document has yet supported. Only the main statue of vishnu that gives the indication on the history of the temple, if see from this main statue it might be known as Vrah Vishnulok. But the true name until now is unknown. After Suryawarman II the dynasty of Jayawarman again appeared with the reign of king Jayawarman VII who establish new capital at Angkor Thom and the state temple of Bayon, at the north of present Angkor Wat. Toward the end of 13th century Angkor Wat used as Buddhist temple from Mahayana sect. Toward 20th century Kambujadeca ( Cambodia ) was in long trouble, colonized by Thai, French and deep conflict of Khmer rouge after their independence from France in 1953.

Lack of data to disclose the history of Angkor Wat has caused problem in communicating the great heritage, although assumption based on main sculpture of Wishnu led the dating during the reign of Surayawarman II, yet the development of Hindu in Asia had been started since the 1st AD such as the findings of Wishnu sculptures in East Java and south Sulawesi which styles showing close affinity with south Indian art. While the concept of a devaraja or god king has been found in 10th century in Java under the reign of king Erlangga with Wishnu as their main god. While in Cambodia the flourishing kingdom of Angkor, had been started around 750 AD under king of Jayawarman. Historians consider lived 2 king with name Jayawarman.

All Western visitors, artists even experts praised the monument as one of the best in the world. First European visit was in 1586 by Antonio de Magdalena a Portuguese monk who said this temple was unable to be described with pen of which human genius could conceive. In 19th AD Henri Mouhot from France made a travel notes, saying that Angkor Wat is rival only to the temple of Solomon, and was constructed by some ancient Michel Angelo. All surfaces, columns, lintels even roofs are carved. miles of reliefs illustrating Indian literature including unicorns, griffins, wing dragons, warriors, elephants, and celestial dancing girls. There are some holes which were probable that decorations on bronze plates.

Unique construction of Khmer architecture is the use of sandstone instead of bricks for constructing a building, beside laterite was used for outer wall. To bind the blocks it was probable to have been used natural resins. The construction which is estimated to have needed 5 million tons sandstone taken from a place 40 kms away would have needed considerable force and time. In modern time it is estimated to finish such a monument would need 300 years, while if the assumption of Angkor Wat based on the founder of Suryawarman II it was only 40 years. The outer wall encloses 820.000 square meters on which are temple and traces of the city and the royal palace. It is possible that the king palace, and other houses were built in perishable materials, so only left outlines of some streets, just like Borobudur Buddhist temple, it left no sign of settlement or Buddhist asrams around the temple. This is fully understood because Java since 17th century was converted fast into Muslim. The temple's 4 cardinal side have entrance, 3 sets of steps and pond. While causeway that connects the west side from the gate or gopuram around 350 meters long up to the temple, decorated with Naga balustrades and 6 sets of steps leading down to the city.

The important decoration taken from Indian myth are the churning of sea milk showing 92 Asuras ( Demons ), and 88 Devas ( gods ) and Serpent Vasuki churning the sea under direction of Vishnu. Others are mostly taken from the story of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Readings :

Casparis, Dr.J.G. de : Short Inscriptions from Tjandi Plaosan-Lor, Berita Dinas Purbakala Djakarta, 1958
Coedes, George : Les Etats Hindouses d'Indochine et d'Indonesie, Nouvelle Edition revue et mise a jour , Paris 1964
Briggs, L.P. : The Ancient Khmer Empire, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society held at Philadelphia for promoting usefull knowledge - New Series - Vol 41 Part I
Soekmono, R. : Candi Fungsi dan Pengertiannya, Disertasi untuk memproleh gelar Doktor dalam Ilmu-ilmu Sastra Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 1974
Soewadji Syafei : What Historical Relation were There between Camboadia and Indonesia from the Eight to Ninth century? Majalah Arkeologi TH I, No.1, FSUI September 1977
Poerbotjaroko, R. Ng. : Riwayat Indonesia I, PT Pembangunan, Djakarta, 1952