Part 13 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

Time Travel Along the 2^nd Avenue

The 2^nd Avenue leads to the 3^rd Gopura and to the King’s palace, the largest building of Preah Vihear. The palace is aligned along the East-West axis, thus forming along with the North-South avenues a huge cross. 

The 2^nd avenue takes after the 1^st avenue, cobbled with cut sandstones and on both sides aligned with pillars resembling lotus buds. The thirsty traveller finds mongers offering water, Cola, Black Label and the addicted finds cigarettes, mainly Malboro.

***

The Khmer Empire reached its first peak during the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113 – 1150). By then Ankor Wat, the power centre, was enlarged significantly. Preah Vihear was extended with the King’s palace at the end of the 2^nd avenue. The Khmers ruled over a huge geography we call today Thailand, Laos and parts of Burma and Vietnam. Some historians claim that the Khmers even reached North Malaysia via Phuket.   

red: Khmer Empire

The geography was not deserted of course. The Mon in Thailand and Burma might have resisted ineffectively, they are not known as a military power or people in arms. Instead they blended their own Buddhist culture with the Hindu culture of the Khmers, other than the Cham in Laos and Vietnam, the still archenemy of the Khmers at that time. 802 AD, the date of the liberation from the Cham, is celebrated as the birthday of the Khmer nation. The Cham never gave up really, never got over their defeat. They overran Ankor Wat after the death of King Suryavarman II in 1177 AD and hit the Khmer empire at its very heart. 

***

Shortly before the 3^rd Gopura a small slightly tilted building sits under the shade of a tree. It used to host a Shiva lingam presumably. The empty Cola tins inside are not forgotten rubbish but leftovers of a ritual praising Lord Shiva, who is still alive in the minds of the Khmers today. 

***

The Khmers recovered and rose to the supreme power again. King Jayavarman VII (1181 – 1218) expanded Ankor Wat and other Khmer Prasat (palaces) to the shape we can still admire today. Cleverly devised irrigation systems with countless water canals and ponds allowed for up to three rice harvests per year. Modern historians estimate that the area around Ankor Wat could easily feed almost one million people. The mix of peoples must have been impressive. People from all around the Khmer empire assembled there. They made up the richness of this vast Kingdom. The more people a Kingdom could accumulate the more powerful it was. Gaggles of farmers cared for the nourishment, tens of thousand of soldiers for defence and further extensions of the empire, not to forget the thousands of masons, carpenters, construction workers, architects and artists.          

End of the 2nd Avenue and 3rd Gopura

Preah Vihear was not an advanced outpost with just a Shiva lingam any more, but second to Ankor Wat a central and important part of the Khmer kingdom. Like other prasat (palaces) it was connected by partially cobbled roads leading to Ankor Wat. The analogy to Rome pops up in someone’s mind. “All roads lead to Ankor Wat”  

But even at the zenith of the Khmer empire an old prophecy still weighted heavily on the shoulders of this ancient nation during the 12^th and 13^th century AD…

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

stay tuned... 

Dumme Gedanken wieder einmal

...und dann sind da die Meister, die ihr Innerstes nach aussen kehren und glauben, dass dies die internationale Leserschaft interessieren muss. Sozusagen nach dem Motto, Mr. Normalbürger hat etwas wichtiges für die globale Bürgerschaft zu sagen. Vielleicht sogar für einen Afrikaner im Kral, falls er des Lesens mächtig ist. Man ist ja schliesslich ein einmaliges Individuum und damit von Interesse für die schweigende und dumpfe Allgemeinheit.

Ha ha! Auch dieser Blog hält mich offensichtlich nicht von Dummheiten ab. Nämlich der Dummheit, dass meine Worte wichtig wären. Zumindest weiss ich, dass sie völlig unnötig sind. Aber...

...ab und zu, selten zwar, versuche ich, meine Gedanken in Geschichten fassen. Die oft gestellte Frage an mich, ob sie authentisch sind, ist müssig. Jeder Geschichtenschreiber zehrt von seinen persönlichen Erfahrungen. Im Endeffekt bestimmt die Dramaturgie und der Plot die Handlung. Die Vorstellungskraft passiert im eigenen Kopf, eine Fliege wird zum Elefanten, ein Wunschgedanke zum wirklichen Buchgeschehen.

Wer schreibt, kommt nicht auf dumme Gedanken? Lieber Opa. Im Gegenteil, im Gegenteil....

Part 12 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

As seen on a lintel at Preah Vihear

The Legend of “The Churning of the Milk Ocean”

Continued…

Time was short. The demons gained strength by the minute, the Gods lost power by the second. Never mind that one second in the calendar of the Hindu heavenliest lasts 100,000 earth years.  

Lord Indra: “Any advice will do, Lord Vishnu. We need a miracle anyway…”

Lord Vishnu after taking a deep breath: “OK then, listen! We need to recover the long lost amrita, the nectar of strength, power and endless life.

Lord Indra: “What has to be done? Any idea?”

Lord Vishnu: “Of course. We need to churn the ocean until it releases this magical drink. 

Lord Indra: “Why don’t we start immediately? Let’s hurry up!”

Lord Vishnu: “But there’s a catch in it. We, deva, Gods, will not be able to do it alone. We are too weak meanwhile and have to find helping hands. Strong hands that is.”

Lord Indra: “Oh man, something bad is going down.“  

Lord Vishnu: “We need to convince the asura, demons, to support us.”

Lord Indra: “I was afraid of that. Why would they want to help us anyway? Unless we promise them something in return…oh no, Lord Vishnu…you really want to tell them, what we are after?”

Lord Vishnu: “Yes, we need to. The recovery of amrita is the only motivation that will make them co-operate with us.”

Lord Indra: “More than risky. If the asura get their hands on amrita we are lost for ever. I don’t see how we would be able to prevent them from doing so. Mission impossible.”

Lord Vishnu: “Trust me, Lord Indra, I know the answer.”

And so it came that the “good” and the “ugly bad” pulled the same string for a mutual task, the recovery of amrita. The dimensions of the churning device were huge. There was the “string”, a giant snake, named vasuki, her middle spiralled around the sacred mount meru, the center of all universes, that was used as a churning tool.

The asura pulled the head end of vasuki, the deva the tail end...back and forth, back and forth…for more than a thousand years, causing the mount to rotate. Sounds like a straightforward task, but it wasn’t.

Mount meru threatened to sink into the ocean.  Lord Vishnu was the first one to recognize this and transformed into a giant turtle. Thus supporting mount meru on his back and establishing a sound base. Not only that. The snake went hot and started to exhale a poisonous and deadly steam. Surprisingly it was Lord Shiva, the destroyer, who was willing to sacrifice himself by inhaling the lethal toxin, so it wouldn’t contaminate the entire universe . His lovely wife, Parvati,  and mother of Ganesh, the one with the elephant head, didn’t want her husband to die and jumped immediately to Shiva’s help, clinging her hands around his throat. Lord Shiva survived because the poison never reached his lungs, but he turned bluish like a strangled person for ever.

The churning went on. Both, the deva and the asura, never intending to let the other party get hold of amrita, the ultimate power drink.

Successively the ocean began to release its treasures.

·      A white elephant called Erawan

·      A holy cow and future companion of Lord Shiva

·      A white horse with a tail which could fulfil any wishes

·      A tree with the same characteristic

·      A Garuda and future companion of Lord Vishnu

Garuda, Thailand's government seal

·      The goddess of wine

·      A number of beautiful nymphs

·      Lakshmi, the long missed beautiful wife of Lord Vishnu

Finally, Dhanvantari, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, rose up out of the floods, a bowl filled with amrita in his hands. The fight for this mystical potion started immediately.  

The Garuda grabbed the bowl and flew away. On its way some drops of amrita rained down to earth. To be more precise at Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. Since then these four locations radiate mystical powers. Every 12 years millions of Hindus assemble at these places for ritual bathing.        

     

Meanwhile Lord Vishnu transformed into a sexy nymph, named Mohini. His companions saw through his ploy and kept their eyes on the eventually returning Garuda. The asura, demons, however, went randy. Every single one of them trying to be the first one laying hands on this beautiful nymph.

When the Garuda returned he served amrita to the Gods who drank it eagerly. The world was saved. One of the demons, Rahu, played it smart though. He disguised as a God, stood in queue, caught a drought of amrita and was just about to swallow it when the observant Lord Vishnu recognized the fraud. He decapitated Rahu with one stroke of his sword. Too late for the head of Rahu. It remained immortal. Since then his mug decorates many Hindu and Buddhist chedis as a warning. It is told that Rahu can eclipse sun and moon.        

Grimaces of Rahu at Phra Buddha Bat Bua Bok, province Udon Thani, Thailand.

So far the legend of the churning of the ocean of milk. Its greatest depiction can be found at Ankor Wat. It’s 45 meters long. A modern one can be admired in the international airport Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok.

Suvarnabhumi airport Bangkok

The 2nd avenue and the 3rd Gopura will be subject of the next blog entry in this series about Preah Vihear.

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, May 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

stay tuned... 

Part 11 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

The Legend of “The Churning of the Milk Ocean”

 

The lintel depicting this legend can be found above one of the entrances of the 2^nd Gopura facing South.

For many it’s just a Khmer relief or lintel among others, kind of interesting though, because it shows some figures holding on to a strange thing and obviously doing something with it, a mystery to the ordinary person outside India or the Hindu community.

Some call it the Hindu creation myth. But it’s definitely not the one of mankind. Kshir sagar mantham or samudra mantham, as it is titled sometimes, rather describes the Parthenon of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses and the way they became immortal and invincible.

It’s a story of good and evil, sacrifice and selfishness, sincerity and furtiveness, love and hate, hope and desperation, joy and suffering. In other words, it retells the story of universal values common to all mankind. And that is why “The Churning of the Milk Ocean” holds a central place in the Hindu Mythology.   

The legend is told in some variations around a common core. One goes like this…

Kshir (milk) sagar (ocean) manthan (churn)

Once upon a time Lord Indra, the King of Gods, rode his white elephant named Airavata through the country side. The Thais call this elephant Erawan.

 The city seal of Bangkok

The famous ascetic Durvasa came across his way and immediately showed his respect to Lord Indra by handing over a wreath of flowers to him. Lord Indra placed it on the head of Airavata. The elephant got irritated by the captivating scent of these flowers and shook its head angrily. Not only that. The garland fell down on the ground and Airavata trampled furiously on it. The ascetic Durvasa, also well known for his violent temper, got upset to such an extent that he cursed Lord Indra:        

“Hey Indra. Look, what became of you. A snotty ruler, blinded by richness, power and pride. You’re nothing else than a selfish shell hiding your arrogance. Your might, power, energy and happiness will dissipate, same as for your heavenly companions.” 

So it happened. The demons (asura) took advantage of the weakness of the Gods (deva) and overran their heavens. The world was at the brink of darkness. 

Interesting, how the Hindus characterize the demons. According to them they are half- brothers of the Gods but lack helpfulness, compassion, empathy, love, truthfulness, the willingness to sacrifice themselves for a companion, not to mention their aversion of worshipping any God.

At normal times the Gods keep the demons at bay to a fair extend, but now there were no normal times any more. Lord Indra desperately approached Lord Brahma, the creator, and asked him for advice. Lord Brahma sent him to Lord Vishnu, the preserver, the one who supports and sustains the universe.      

Lord Vishnu’s idea to regain power was most challenging and quite unusual...

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

stay tuned... 

Part 10 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

2^nd Gopura

The 2^nd Gopura comes as a nice change after the disappointment over the 1^st one some of the visitors might have felt. It’s in a quite good shape, at least on first glance, and much more impressive.

The Khmers are of the same opinion.

Some of the steps leading up to the 2^nd Gopura are definitely not made to walk tall. The most convenient way is to negotiate them on all four extremeties.

These holes in front of the 2nd Gopura are holders for giant torches. When lit up at night the steps and the façade of this building radiated mystically with an eerie shine. 

The inside of this sanctuary is larger and in much better condition than the one of the 1^st Gopura, but still no match to Prasat Phimai in Buriam.

Once passed the façade of the 2^nd Gopura facing South allows the visitor a glance on some very interesting lintels. It’s easy to miss them, if too much impressed by the architecture as a whole and the buildings themselves. This might eventually blind the eye for details.

One of these lintels illustrates a central legend of Hinduism. “The Churning of the Sea of Milk”…

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

Today, April 26, 2011, as this blog entry is written, fighting resumed at the Preah Vihear

stay tuned... 

Part 9 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

1st Avenue

After passing the 1st Gopura the plateau opens up allowing an undisturbed panoramic view to all sides, the next building complex, the 2nd Gopura, lies ahead in quite some distance. The 1st Avenue, bouldered with  sandstone rocks, leads straight to the South. It is lined by stone pillars at both sides representing Lotus buds. Some still standing straight, some heedlessly left overturned.

Historically speaking the five Gopuras are numbered the other way around. The oldest one on top being the number one and the newest one connecting to the stone staircase at the entrance being number five. For the purpose of this travel report of my visit on December 25^th, 2006, however, we stick to the sequence the way we pass the Gopuras on our journey to the top and as it is depicted on the map. 

Look back at the 1st Gopura

       

What kind of colorful processions might have marched along this avenue in long past centuries? How fantastic might it have looked like at night when illuminated by innumerable torches? How much blood was spilled when the Siamese overran this place in the 15th century? How many last battles have been fought between Cambodian government troops and the hard core of a past terror regime in the 20^th century before the Khmer Rouge finally gave up Preah Vihear, their last heaven, in 1998?

Strolling along this avenue in bright sunlight without fear lets someone’s thoughts wondering. Knowing the past of this place reminds on the change the world faces continuously. Nothing remains as it is. Rise and fall of powerhouses go hand in hand, are two sides of the very same coin. Good times are followed by bad times and vice versa in endless cycles. Some tourists might appreciate the peaceful moments when walking this avenue. An avenue, that could tell so many stories of happiness and suffering.

Whoever got thirsty meanwhile can find water, Cola, Black Label offered and praised not able to be ignored by some hawkers at the wayside, as well as cigarettes. Little girls try to sell postcards, five Baht a piece, cheaper by the dozen. A simple “no” and a smile is sufficient to stop their picking on tourists. It’s quite a discreet affair.

The plains to the left and right of the 1^st Avenue are completely cleared off of landmines. A sign tries to assure the visitors.

Of course, the French didn’t “fund the minefield”, but rather the clearance.           

Almost in the shadow of the 2nd Gopura, an artificial water pond (sra song) guarded by lion statues invites the visitor to rest under shady trees. Vestiges of red color on the lions remind on the almost forgotten fact that all the statues and buildings once have been painted in bright colors. 

These ponds are typical for Khmer temples and usually four of them are arranged symmetrically around the innermost sanctuary of the compound. Then they represent the primordial ocean, the home of the Naga.

However, since there are no counterparts to this pond it is fair to assume that this one was used as a water reservoir and sometimes as a place to perform holy cleansing and water blessing rituals.

The so called Ankor period lasted from 802 to 1431, the year the Siamese conquered Ankor Wat. From then on the capital of the by then already emaciated Khmer Empire was moved to Phom Phen. At times when the successors of Khmer King Jayavarnam continued to enlarge Preah Vihear beyond its modest sanctuary with the Shiva lingam at the South end nobody spent a single thought on a likely demise of the still growing Khmer Empire. The opposite was the case. The geographies that are called Thailand, Burma, Laos and parts of Vietnam and Malaysia today fell into the hands of the Khmers or were at least influenced by them. People living there did not only pay tribute to the Khmer kings but also absorbed the Khmer culture to a great extend. Preah Vihear was significantly extended in the 11^th century during the reign of King Suryavarman I and assumed the final shape during the 12^th century under the rule of the King Suryavarman II. 

At the same time the Khmers built prasat(s) (palaces/temples) in numerous strategic locations. Their remains are tourist spots today, many of them renovated and rebuilt out of rubble and loose stones and lintels left over at these sites. Some places in the Thai provinces of Surin, Buriam and Si Sa Ket enjoy great popularity among local and foreign tourists. Prasat Phimai, Prasat Phanom Rung and Muang Tam to name only a few of them. Prasat Muang Singh in the province Kanchanaburi  and Sam Yod in Lopburi belong to the westernmost Khmer sanctuaries. South Laos prides oneself with Wat Phu, built in a fascinating and beautiful landscape. And of course, not to forget, Ankor Wat in Cambodia, the pearl of all.

We are now close to the 2^nd Gopura….              

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

Today, April 26, 2011, as this blog entry is written, fighting resumed at the Preah Vihear

stay tuned... 

Die Himmelsbahn - Der rote Faden durch Bangkok

amazon.de

Bangkok. Zum ersten Mal? Unterwegs ohne Unterstützung einer kenntnisreichen Begleitperson oder eines Einheimischen? Sich zwischen den Hochhäusern verlieren? Keine Ahnung haben, wo man sich gerade befindet? Am liebsten lasse ich diesen unübersichtlichen und verwirrenden Moloch so schnell wie möglich hinter mir. Begebe mich auf eine Insel oder in den grünen Norden mit seinen übersichtlichen Kleinstädten oder an den Mekong River oder gar aufs Land. Solche Gedankengänge mögen so manchen davon abhalten sich dieser Ausnahmestadt zu nähern. Aber seit es den Skytrain in Bangkok gibt ist es schade, wenn jemand so denkt. Und diejenigen, die mit dieser Stadt schon einmal in Berührung kamen, sagen sich: Im Stau zu jeder Tageszeit? Nicht mit mir. Dazu ist mein Urlaub zu kurz". Nie mehr im Verkehr festsitzen, immer wissen, wo man ist, nie verloren sein in dieser nur auf den ersten Blick verwirrenden Metropole. Ist das möglich, selbst für Touristen, die das erste Mal nach Bangkok kommen? Die Lösung ist ganz einfach: Eine Fahrt mit der Skytrain. Dieses Buch nimmt Sie mit auf eine Reise mit der Hochbahn und hilft Ihnen sich zurecht zu finden und zu orientieren. Das Abenteuer Bangkok beginnt. Dieser Reiseführer belegt das in Wort und Bild. Faszinierende Fotos untermalen die Beschreibungen der schönsten Orte der Stadt eindrucksvoll. Sie werden sich im Moloch Bangkok nicht verlieren - im Gegenteil: Sie werden sich rettungslos verlieben.Erschienen in der Edition Travel & Fun Asia(Berlin - Bangkok - Beijing)