albino boo said:
Interesting, I didn't know the Indian government had got involved in restoration work at Angkor Wat. I would quite to know if they restoring or the temple complex or just the Hindu part
They're restoring the whole thing, and have done a lot in 10 years--remember India's the birthplace of Buddhism as well. They've done work on several temples in the Angkor region, including Angkor Wat. Most temples there changed affiliation back and forth over the years anyway, so there's really no difference between a Hindu and Buddhist one, though all of them are active worship sites for Buddhists today.
In fact the Indian government got in a little trouble a few years ago. Awhile back they restored the roof above the bas-relief of the Churning of the Sea of Milk at Angkor Wat, but the used concrete to hold the new masonry in place. This clogged the channels the Khmer had built to direct water away from the bas-reliefs, so not only did rain suddenly start cascading down the carvings and wearing them down, but the rain was impregnated with weak acid from the concrete, speeding up the erosion. They learned from the mistake though, and now rebuild temples in the Khmer style, using no concrete or mortar and simply replacing stones that are too broken down to hold up those around them.
India's not the only government either -- Japan, Korea and several other Asian countries have either funded restoration or sent teams to help. Sadly, the Cambodian government is far too poor to afford it, they can't even pay for adequate security, and the guards they have are woefully underpaid. (Cambodia's the only place I've ever been where a cop called me over and tried to sell me official patches, badges, etc.)
Voulan said:
Really great article, it's just such a beautiful place. It makes it all the more better when I literally watched the film only a couple of hours ago.
I'm serious when I say that they changed nothing. Really, none of that is a set or digital--that's just what Ta Prohm looks like. It's astonishing.
(Okay, they added the giant shaft she falls into. They also used the exterior of a different temple since the front of Ta Prohm was much more broken down pre-restoration, but still, all the interiors are as pictured.)
