Word: jayavarman
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Dates: during 2002-2002
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...Phnom Kulen is the holiest mountain in Cambodia and a picnic destination for Khmer families. But few foreigners visit. On this peak in 802, King Jayavarman II declared himself a Hindu god-king and kicked off the four-century Angkor period of Khmer history that produced the Angkor temples, constructed of Phnom Kulen's sandstone. The Khmer Rouge used the mountain as a final stronghold for two decades after losing power in 1979, so it's only been three years since visitors have again been able to enjoy the cool waters and artistic treasures...
...waters hold special religious significance for Hindus, thanks to the carvings commissioned by Jayavarman II. The despot ordered part of the river diverted temporarily so that hundreds of phallic images could be carved into the sandstone floors along a shady brook area. These lingams?which actually look no more raunchy than rounded bumps?are surrounded by square outlines that represent the vulva, as per Hindu tradition. Tourists can slosh right into the shallow river to touch or photograph the sculptures through the flowing water...
...water becomes holy by passing over this area before moving downstream to a series of tiered waterfalls. At the top, where Jayavarman II chose to bathe, he again had the river diverted so that the stone bed could be carved with an elaborate rendering of the Hindu god Vishnu. Vishnu is laying on the serpent Ananta, with his wife Lakshmi at his feet and a lotus flower protrudes from his navel bearing the god Brahma. Visitors can walk into the water to take pictures but are instructed not to touch the underwater carvings...