Jayavarman declared himself; a god king- a link between mankind and the spirits. He began a grand tradition of temple building that was to be kept alive by future Khmer rulers. The god kings, most of who were Hindus, marked their link with the divine by adorning their temples with statues of the principal gods made in their own likenesses. The duty of the god king was to win the favor of the other gods for the benefit of his subjects. While the temples paid tribute to the generosity of these gods, who helped to swell the city’s rice harvests, the scared states remained worshippers of the power of their supreme ruler.
Each Khmer king, as well as adding to the irrigation network, tried to outshine his predecessor with the splendor of his temple. The brilliant of all is Angkor Wat, built by Suryavarman II. Like most of the Khmers’ temples, Angkor Wat is a symbol of Mount Meru – in Hindu legend, the home of the gods.
Shortly after Angkor Wat’s construction, the Khmer capital was sacked by the Chams from lower Annam (present day Vietnam). Its people endured four years of submission, until the future Jayavarman VII led a rebellion which drove out the hated invaders. Then embarked on an ambitious program of construction and rebuilt the royal capital.
Jayavarman VII‘s city is known as Angkor Thom. The square moat which surrounds it was once stocked with fierce crocodiles. Each side is more than 3 Km long and is reinforced by defensive walls of 7 meter high. The main through fares align with the points of the compass, entering the city across the moat and through gateways large enough to allow the access of royal elephants. They meet in the centre of the capital, at the massive temple of the Bayon.
History of Indian Astrology has its root in the Vedas of Hindu that are the oldest scriptures in the world.
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