Angkor Wat is the largest Hindu temple in the world.Suryavarman II was the king who built the grand Angkor Wat temple, which he dedicated solely to the Hindu god Vishnu. Previous god-kings did not have this special devotion that he exhibited; they always included other gods as well.
Although the Angkor Wat temple signifies the high achievement of the Khmer people, there were signs of decline. The city was overpopulated, the agriculture could not keep up with demands, and canals had started to dry up.
Supposedly, the construction of Angkor Wat was what caused all these major strains on the empire. Plus, war was still going on, so resources were spread too thin. Nonetheless, Suryavarman II earned his place in Angkor Wat history as the king who built the largest religious structure
- As the Khmer Empire began to wane in the 15th and 16th centuries, due in part to frequent Thai invasions, the Khmer left the temple, moved their capital to Phnom Penh, and Angkor Wat was soon overcome with jungle, and, after a time was known only to the natives.
- The city and temple were rediscovered by a Khmer king and his entourage in the latter part of the 16th century, and was also discovered by Spanish and Portuguese traders, who were awestruck by its wonder and beauty. The temple was discovered again by the French in the 19thcentury.
- Angkor Wat has come to be a source of great pride for the Khmer people of Cambodia and increasingly an international tourist destination and they have it as a symbol on their national flag.
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