Apsaras of Angkor Wat

March had just begun, summer was still a few weeks away, but the sun was harsh and the temperature had climbed to 36 C. After an enjoyable though hectic day of visit to Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and Bayon temples, and a forgettable visit in the afternoon to the Floating villages; the tourists heaved a sigh of relief when they were ushered into Marakot Restaurant for dinner over a cultural performance culminating in Apsara Dance.

Queen Sisowath Kossamak had revived and modernised the Khmer Classical dance form, and her grand-daughter Norodom Buppha Devi had established the Royal Ballet of Cambodia which in 2003 was included by UNESCO among World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. As Prima Ballerina, Norodom Buppha Devi herself led the dance troupes to several countries in the world.

Apsara dance is heavily influenced by Indian classical dances including Odissi and Bharatanatyam.

“Renowned for its graceful hand gestures and stunning costumes, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, also known as Khmer Classical Dance, has been closely associated with the Khmer court for over one thousand years. Performances would traditionally accompany royal ceremonies and observances such as coronations, marriages, funerals or Khmer holidays.”[i]

The auditorium-cum-dining hall was large enough to sit 250 diners with enough space for the buffet tables at the far ends of the hall. In the courtyard outside the hall, live food counters took orders from customers and served a variety of hot dishes – local as well as international cuisine.

The dining tables were not theatre style; but ran along the length of the hall perpendicular to the elevated stage. Every diner had a clear view of the stage, though they had to  crane their necks to catch vignettes of the show while enjoying the multi-cuisine dinner. Those who were rather excited paused eating, and stood up briefly to capture a few photos or a video.

The Show which lasted for about one and a half hours - more than enough time for food, second and third helpings, chat, pics, and videos - comprised a series of performances, some by a few, and others by a larger group. Traditional Martial Art, folk stories, and Reamker (as Ramayana is known in Kamboja Desha) episodes. The Apsara Dance was the final performance, the icing on the cake. Seven beautiful Apsaras in traditional costume with the Prima Ballerina in the middle gracefully enacted classical mudras and gently swayed to the beats of the band playing on ancient instruments.

When the Show ended, the diners having already feasted lavishly stood up and applauded enthusiastically as the Apsaras assembled at the front of the stage in a row and bowed gracefully. The troupe’s helper brought out from the side-wings a Tip Box with glass panes revealing the USD, Euro, and Pound notes presented by previous customers.

“You’re welcome to come up to the stage for a photo with the Apsaras,’ the organiser announced.

‘I want a pic,’ said a senior citizen to a friend. ‘A souvenir, actually,’ he added, a bit apologetically.

‘Why not?’

‘Is there a charge for that? How much?’

‘No idea. Why don’t you go up and do what other souvenir-hunters are doing?’

The gentleman, seated towards the back of the hall raced up to the stage by when all slots had been taken except the last one beside the seventh Apsara at the farthest right. He had given his excellent camera-phone to his friend in the hall who clicked several pics.

From the stage, the souvenir-collector beckoned to his friend to get ready for the next pic, moved speedily to the Prima Ballerina, and finding beside her a hefty gora who had already been clicked, tapped him on his shoulder with as much politeness as possible under the circumstances, and before the hapless tourist comprehended the scene, had parked himself beside the PB. His friend did click the memorable pic for the souvenir.

‘How much did you pay?’

‘On my way up, I had checked with the theatre staff. No charges, but a tip was welcome. I had a  10-US dollar note in my front pocket which I put in the box.’

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Every year more than 2.5 million tourists visit Angkor Wat, reckoned the largest temple complex in the world, with an area of 402 acres. For perspective, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City has a total area of about 120 acres.

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Angkor Wat temple - originally dedicated to Vishnu and later converted to a Buddhist temple - was built in the 12^th century AD by the Khmer king Suryavarman II, the name meaning ‘He who is protected by the Sun’; but he was not related to any Indian dynasty! 

Indian tourists feel justifiably proud since this largest Hindu temple in the world was built in a country which had never been a colony or a vassal of any Indian kingdom. Remarkably, Indian culture deeply influenced life and culture in several south-east Asian countries – Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malayasia, Myanmar, and others; without any political dominion or ambition by the traders from India. William Dalrymple in his book The Golden Road calls this Indo-sphere.

Angkor Wat is a massive temple complex with exquisite sculptures, particularly the large carved wall panels with scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Tourists are also enamoured by the sculptures of graceful Apsaras reminding them of the wizardry of India’s master sculptors of Konark, Khajuraho, and other architectural monuments who had scripted poetry in stone.

Apsaras are water-nymphs (Aps means water in Sanskrit) symbolising fertility (Water is the prime source of life); celestial entertainers in Indra’s Swarga; spouses and partners of Gandharvas, the heavenly musicians; and prominently feature in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Bharat-Varsh is named after Bharat, son of  Shakuntala who was abandoned by her mother Menaka, an Apsara, and raised by Kanva, a rishi.

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm (Grandfather Brahma) temple is known for the gigantic tree roots that dangle down over its entryways, walls and terraces, and is popular with tourists after Hollywood star Angelina Jolie filmed here part of her movie Tomb Raider.

                                (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Ta Prohm is under renovation by Archaeological Survey of India[ii]. Mr. Chittaranjan, Assistant Director, and his six colleagues graciously took the visitors around the monument a few parts of which they have renovated with several years of meticulous expertise and dedicated work.

Shri D.S. Sood, who spent nearly fifteen years at Angkor Wat for the ASI project had made an excellent presentation to ‘Saturday Club’ at Bhopal a few months ago.

‘Before Ta Prohm was assigned to ASI for restoration, it was managed by the French archaeologists. They had recovered several broken statues of Apsaras in the premises and had concluded that these statues were in the Hall of Entertainment in Indra sabha, and they had named it the Apsara Hall. However, our work revealed that Avalokiteswara presided over the Hall, and not Indra. Sadly, the statue had been decapitated during the years of rampage and plunder, though the headless statue still seats in his iconic meditative asana. Instead of Apsara Hall, a more apt name for the hall may be ‘Hall of Meditation’ since the apsaras on the walls were paying homage to Avalokiteswara. Apsaras in this hall were not placed for entertainment, they were auspicious symbols of water, clouds, rain, fertility and life.’

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[i] UNESCO: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/royal-ballet-of-cambodia-00060

 

[ii] The conservation and restoration of Ta Prohm is a partnership project of the Archaeological Survey of India and the APSARA (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap).