Yesterday we rode a motorbike to the hills of the abandoned royal city, Oudong. This time there was three of us on one bike, giving us some strains and sore backsides, but even greater confidence towards our future careers as motorcycle drivers. :) (Totally addictive activity as it turns out).
Oudong was the capital of Cambodia from the early 17
th century until 1866 when the capital was moved to Phnom Penh. Several temples, stupas and other structures cover three hills. We enjoyed some great views of the Cambodian landscape, watched monks sing their prayers and play with children, everybody was smiling and friendly, and many people asked us to pose for a picture with them. Sweet, simple and endearing- the people and the spirituality in this country.
The most typical decorations for temples in these countries seem to be elephants (symbolizing strength and power), among those the three headed elephant
Erawan, and most commonly in Cambodia- the serpent Naga.
In a Cambodian legend, the nāga were a reptilian race of beings who possessed a large empire or kingdom in the Pacific Ocean region. The Nāga King's daughter married an Indian Brahmana named Kaundinya, and from their union sprang the Cambodian people. Therefore still Cambodians say that they are "Born from the Nāga".The Seven-Headed Nāga serpents depicted as statues on Cambodian temples apparently represent the seven races within Nāga society, which has a mythological, or symbolic, association with "the seven colors of the rainbow". Furthermore, Cambodian Nāga possess numerological symbolism in the number of their heads. Odd-headed Nāga symbolise the Male Energy, Infinity, Timelessness, and Immortality. This is because, numerologically, all odd numbers come from One (1). Even-headed Nāga are said to be "Female, representing Physicality, Mortality, Temporality, and the Earth." [Wiki]
Posts
That's a beautiful place!! Lovely intricate designs. And thanks for sharing the vibe.
ReplyDelete