The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple built in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. Constructed at the center of King Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom, this was the last state temple to be built at Angkor. The Bayon Temple, the only Angkorian state temple, was built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated to Buddha. Following Jayavarman’s death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist Kings in accordance to their religious preferences.
The Bayon’s most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers that jut from the upper terrace and cluster around its center peak.
The similarity of the 216 gigantic faces to other statues of Jayavarman VII has led many scholars to the hypothesis that the faces are representations of the King himself. Others believe that the faces belong to Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.
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