Fair Or Foul? India's Angkor Wat Replica

[prasad1]

Share:

Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

India Plans Angkor Wat Replica.
India Plans Angkor Wat Replica (PHOTOS)

India will spend the next 10 years constructing a replica of Angkor Wat, the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cambodia.


A Hindu trust is sponsoring the project, which will cost an estimated $20 million, on a 40-acre plot of land in the eastern state of Bihar, according to the AFP.

 

[Govinda]

We don't know our own future but, Perumal takes care of people ahead of time (though acc. to karma). Some construction workers/artisans will have job for those years. If not temple, it would be mining or some other project in some form.

 

[Jaykay767]

Lets call a spade a spade.

This is definitely not done !!. one should not replicate the national icons of other countries.

 

[Govinda]

Lets call a spade a spade.

This is definitely not done !!. one should not replicate the national icons of other countries.

Constructing rock buildings/temples are not a threat to nature. So, I am okay, plus someone has the money, let us share it to the masses some way.

But, coming to the 'Intellectual Piracy', esp. regd that Angorwat, we should know that the King who built that was a Vaishnava. He must have been attracted to our hindu philosophy plus, the architects/artisans were from India. Just that, it was built outside India. Our indian wisdom never had any patents since the dawn of its emergence, so how is this a big issue?

Plus, from the link:

VINA - Vaishnava Internet News Agency - Angkor Wat (Vrah Vishnulok)

Angkor Wat, originally named Vrah Vishnulok - the sacred abode of Lord Vishnu, is the largest temple in the world. It was built by King Suryavarman II in the 12th century. The Sanskrit Nagara (capital) was modified by the Cambodian tongue to Nokor and then to Angkor. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nagara' meaning 'holy city'. Vatika is Sanskrit word for temple. "The city which is a temple," Angkor Wat (Nagara Watika) is a majestic monument, the world's largest religious construction in stone, and an architectural masterpiece. The Khmers adhered to the Indian belief that a temple must be built according to a mathematical system in order for it to function in harmony with the universe. Distances between certain architectural elements of the temple reflect numbers related to Indian mythology and cosmology. The sheer size of the place leaves visitors in awe.

"The Khmer took everything from India, from irrigation to astronomy and including Shiva and the rest of Hindu religion...And the Khmer built Angkor. ""The Khmer civilization was the most important, the most brilliant and original in ancient Indo-China. The brilliant achievements of ancient Cambodia were due primarily to the country’s wealth of natural resources. No other country of the peninsula could boast of such an unbroken extent of fertile and well-watered. Cambodia, being a strictly defined and admirably situated geographical unit, was the cradle of a powerful and gifted race."

"But neither favorable environment nor limitless resources nor years of peace would have sufficed without the spiritual contribution of India."
"India was the spark that fired the blaze."

Bernard Philippe Groslier (1926 -1986), a French conservator and archaeologist​

"I've seen the Pyramids in Egypt, the Parthenon in Athens, the Great Wall of China, and the Rome Colleseum, but I think the Temples of Angkor Wat beat them all. "Think of the world in the 8th to 15th century, when they were burning witches in Britain, and Australia and America hadn't been discovered."
​

Angkorwat, churning of Milky ocean

Also, I guess, all the eastern India (incl. islands) were ruled by Varman, whose descendants have migrated to south india. Varma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[prasad1]

I do not know if it is a intelectual propert right, but some how does not seem right, I agree with Mr. JK.
On the other hand imitation is true appreciation of the original.

 

[Govinda]

I do not know if it is a intelectual propert right, but some how does not seem right, I agree with Mr. JK.
On the other hand imitation is true appreciation of the original.

They (khymer) converted the Vishnu idol to Buddha and that temple is used for buddhism (monks). So, the originality was already lost!

So, I would say, this would be another prototype like that Angor Wat. We have gone far away from what our upanishadic rishis/njanis propounded, we can't just go back, but only a few steps at a time.

Why don't we follow the original Gita/Upanishads, we want to learnt it the way of chinmaya or kabir or babas (who were brought in muslim households) etc., because we can advance only in steps !

Let us call a spade a spade! Nothing around is original (though REAL!), but all are modifications acc. to our karma, and are sometimes fad!! So, all patents are not original, just older by time!

 

[prasad1]

Mr. Givinda,
I have no argument with your statement. I am intrigued as to why we have to imitate someone else's art. We have thousands of our own temple in bad repair, money could be spent on preserving these masterpieces.
Have you been to Ellora caves, how poorly we treat our national treasure. Fortunately UNESCO, and Japanese money has preserved the Ajanta Caves.
I am not against spending money to create or preserve art, but I am not in favor of copying someone else's art.

 

[Jaykay767]

Hi Govinda,

Khmer did not copy our culture. Chola kings went to SEA countries & they established kingdoms there, hence you have a lot of Indian influence. The mix of Indians & the locals there created this great civilization.

Ankor Wat is the crown jewel of this civilization & has a unique architeture, historical prominence.

It is really not done to copy others "national icons" even if it has Indian origins.

Cheers,
JK

 

[sarang]

As long as it is explicitly stated and displayed that the new structure is a replica and the details of the original - pictures, models etc.- are well publicized, I do not see any objection in duplicating it.

This is a private venture; most of us feel that individuals must have the freedom.

If the new temple becomes functional it is good thing because a discontinued tradition will be revived. If the puja-worship details followed in angkor wat can be dug out, they can be followed here too.

We have uttara chidambaram temple in satara, a dakshina pandarpur temple in kumbakonam - these temples with lots of similarities to the originals.

If it is a functional temple, more cambodians will come to know their past and who knows may wish to follow and institute the practices in their homeland.

 

[vgane]

I have not heard some one constructing another Great Wall of China or another Taj Mahal any where in the world....You cannot replicate the age of the structure, the effort that went into it or the history behind it...It can be just an imitation & the charm is always or originality

Recently a Golden temple was consecrated near Vellore...It was constructed on a 100 acre plot...All parts of the main temple is covered with Gold..The temple never proclaimed that it was a copy of something...The beauty lies in the creativity....Had it been a copy the original lustre would have been lost.

 

[Govinda]

I have not heard some one constructing another Great Wall of China or another Taj Mahal any where in the world....You cannot replicate the age of the structure, the effort that went into it or the history behind it...It can be just an imitation & the charm is always or originality

Recently a Golden temple was consecrated near Vellore...It was constructed on a 100 acre plot...All parts of the main temple is covered with Gold..The temple never proclaimed that it was a copy of something...The beauty lies in the creativity....Had it been a copy the original lustre would have been lost.

We have many akshardhams, TTD's like temples everywhere in the west. The indians in these places so do the foreigners enjoy their beauty.

You guys have set some pre-judiced notions and follow through. Khymer kings must have been the hindu-kshatriya kings, and before this angor-wat temple, they worshipped and
had many Shiva temples, until vietnamese buddhist rampaged and converted the hindu temples into buddhism ones.


If shah jahan had not cut the fingers of hindu artisans of Taj Mahal builders, they would have created many. [but not as dumb mausoleums, but for gods or spiritual purposes!]

We had great forts and walls all over the world across many empires/civilizations, which would be common military art/architecture to protect the civilians. We had some many
of them, but Wall of china may have been the longest (due to the space). We have Berlin wall of 20th century.
List of walls - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Every now and then, there are many people, who beat the guinness records. Also, the election for 'wonders of the world' change every season.

 

[Govinda]

Hi Govinda,

Khmer did not copy our culture. Chola kings went to SEA countries & they established kingdoms there, hence you have a lot of Indian influence. The mix of Indians & the locals there created this great civilization.

Ankor Wat is the crown jewel of this civilization & has a unique architeture, historical prominence.

It is really not done to copy others "national icons" even if it has Indian origins.

Cheers,
JK

Did you read my post #4? Angor-wat is a representation of Hinduism. Those kings were varmas/hindu kshatriyas themselves, and practised hinduism. Where did khymer civilization come into picture??

 

[Jaykay767]

Did you read my post #4? Angor-wat is a representation of Hinduism. Those kings were varmas/hindu kshatriyas themselves, and practised hinduism. Where did khymer civilization come into picture??

Pl read the history correctly. Ankor Wat is built on Khmer Architecture while it is a Hindu temple built by a Chola King - Suryavarman II.

Angkor Wat (Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត) is the largest[SUP][1][/SUP] Hindu temple complex in the world, situated at Angkor, Cambodia, built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

This appears on thier national flag & that how proud they are about their culture.

Pl show respect to other countries culture & traditions.

 

[prasad1]

I am agreeing with Mr. JK. There is no need to copy someone else's treasure.

 

[Govinda]

I am agreeing with Mr. JK. There is no need to copy someone else's treasure.

To JK and Prasad,

I understand that you guys are very law-abiding and honest. My kudos and appreciation.

You see things only at the face-value, but have to see things with many facets of - creativity, opportunity, variety,
economic/political/environmental situations, aesthetics etc. We need to involve both facets of law and rights, obligations and freedom.

- Khmer architecture evolved largely from that of the Indian subcontinent, from which it soon became clearly distinct as it developed its own special characteristics with the creativity of Angor Wat. All the temples of Cambodia earlier were hindu architecture esp. Shiva temples. The brains behind the Angor Wat and siva temples were Brahmin Pandits, esp Divakara Pandit .http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668. So, I don't say we own them, but we can take pride.

- Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early South Indian Hindu architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat

- Kambojas - were a indo-aryan race/esp kshatriyas - later mauryans, pahlavas/pallavas etc. They later might have mingled with chinese/indonesians.
Read - Kambojas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- Khymer language (rep. Kambojas) were from Sanskrit /Pali.

- ASI have worked hard with Cambodian Govt. to restore Angor Wat .Hindu Wisdom. Due to civil war, between Cambodians and Thailand/Vietnam, that site was abandoned long ago. [China might have an influence for Monetary/Intl. fame]. ASI/Indian Govt. would have known better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C7KEHAZFt4&feature=relmfu [beyond restoration] We can't do much in another territory.

- So, India might want to preserve the techniques and the idea/creativity. Our artisans are known for their sculpting/carving and give them opportunities,
plus the irrigation techniques from there could be used as well. Looks like they are not concerned about khymer structures, It is the indian concepts that caught their
attention.

 

[Govinda]

If the new temple becomes functional it is good thing because a discontinued tradition will be revived. If the puja-worship details followed in angkor wat can be dug out, they can be followed here too.

If it is a functional temple, more cambodians will come to know their past and who knows may wish to follow and institute the practices in their homeland.

Sarang,

If they want it to be functional etc., they should promote Srirangam Temple, with new additions esp. those sculptures/walls regd. MB/Ramayana/Vishnu avatars etc like Angor Wat.

"According to the temple's website, Srirangam can be considered the biggest functioning Hindu temple in the world as it covers an area of about 631,000 square metres (6,790,000 sq ft) with a perimeter of 4 km (10,710 ft).[SUP][1][/SUP] Srirangam claims to be the biggest functioning temple, because Angkor Wat is the biggest but non-functioning Hindu temple in the world". Srirangam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This whole topic has nothing to do with spirituality or functionality. It is just about another display of pride, artistic excellence, 'I can do it attitude', that place being abandoned , economy/jobs//tourism etc. Plus, those who cannot visit Cambodia, can visit nearby Bihar.