The Hindu temple of Angkor Wat enshrines nearly 2000 portraits of ancient Khmer women documented here in the Angkor Wat Devata Inventory.
This article is based on research presented by Trudy Jacobsen in her book “Lost Goddesses: The Denial of Female Power in the History of Cambodia”.
Set like a gem among fertile ricefields, the 11th century Rajarani Temple is a breathtaking example of of Orissan style. It is also an immediate architectural predecessor of the Khmer Empire’s greatest monuments.
Just one hundred miles to the south, the Khmer civilization sanctified thousands of female images on the walls of their most important temples, both Hindu and Buddhist. But here, in what is now modern day Thailand, only two devata remain, fulfilling a mysterious spiritual mission long since forgotten.
Researcher Kent Davis theorizes that the many carved images of women found throughout the temple complex hold the key to the origins and purpose of the ancient monuments. Mysterious Khmer Devata Goddesses-Who were the Women of Angkor Wat?
Who were the six sisters of the Angkor Wat devata at Wat Athvea? South of Siem Reap the small temple enshrines six 12th century goddesses.
The vast temple of Angkor Wat protects a hidden treasure: portrait carvings of 1800 Cambodian women. Is this record an ancient Facebook?
3DreamTeam virtual reality innovators showcase technology to bring Angkor Wat 3D and other UNESCO world heritage sites to your computer.
An ancient Khmer image of a Tantric yogini –beautiful, wildly fierce sacred women– is a clue to Tantric rituals in Cambodian and Thailand.
The ancient queens of Jayavarman VII, Indradevi and Jayarajadevi, guided the Khmer civilization bringing education, health, spirituality and enlightenment to 12th century Southeast Asia.