Devata.org offers information & resources on the Angkor Wat Apsara
About Devata.org
Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure ever built by humankind. The mysterious Khmer civilization that thrived in the jungles of Southeast Asia nearly 1,000 years ago created Angkor Wat and hundreds of other impressive structures. For unexplained reasons, many of their temples, including Angkor Wat, are dominated by female images.
Devata.org is devoted to the analysis, investigation and appreciation of this archaeological mystery with the goal of answering a single question: Who are the sacred women the Khmer artists depicted at Angkor Wat?
Devata.org is an information clearinghouse for understanding this historical anomaly. The site includes original articles about Cambodian history and culture, information about the ancient Cambodia dance tradition, book reviews, thousands of photos and opportunities for visitors to participate.
Why do women dominate Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument on Earth?
But within 200 years, the powerful Khmer civilization mysteriously collapsed. Theories of its downfall abound but nothing is definite. You see, aside from limited temple inscriptions no written records of the great Khmer Empire survived its demise. The “best” written account available is from the Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan, who recorded his journey to Suvannabhum, the legendary Khmer “Land of Gold”, 150 years after Angkor Wat was completed.
Centuries passed and dense jungle swallowed the magnificent Khmer temples and cities. Western scholars had never learned that the great Khmer race ever existed. But in the 18th Century, French explorers rediscovered the ruins, initiating 150 years of intense scholarship that continues today. Yet we believe that they have missed the most important keys to the puzzle, hidden in plain sight…
People worldwide instantly recognize Angkor Wat.
Few, however, realize that this massive temple has protected the most extraordinary royal portrait collection in the world for nearly 1,000 years: covering its walls there are 1,780 sacred women realistically rendered in stone.
For 150 years, scholars have simply dismissed the women as ornaments who “are there to entertain the king in heaven” or to “decorate the bare limestone walls.”
The growing body of research at Devata.org indicates that these women served much more profound roles than mere decoration. For the first time, this investigation is asking:
Who are the women of Angkor Wat?
Why did the Khmers immortalize their images in the largest temples that civilization ever built?
What did these women mean to the Khmer rulers, priests and people?
How does the Cambodian dance tradition relate to the women of Angkor Wat?
Do the women of Angkor Wat embody information important to us in modern times?
Devata.org is an information clearinghouse providing data for anyone who wants to participate in this investigation. Key topics include:
Book News & Reviews: Book recommendations relevant to this investigation and to Cambodian history.
Cambodian Dance: Since the dawn of recorded history, Cambodian royalty has nurtured a sacred female dance tradition passed down from teacher to teacher. Today’s dancers preserve a modern inheritance of discipline and grace. This category includes articles relating to Cambodian dance; ancient and modern.
Devata & Apsara Photos: Meet the sacred women of Angkor Wat (and other Khmer temples) face to face. Devata.org features the world’s first online photo galleries with sequential, mapped portraits of the women of Angkor Wat. The digital archive has thousands of technical photos of women portrayed in the major Khmer temples.
Devata Research: Details about specific research projects relating to the women depicted in Khmer temples, including: the Devata Database Project, the Computer Facial Recognition project with Michigan State University, excepts from the upcoming publication “Daughters of Angkor Wat,“ etc.
Khmer History: Articles and reviews devoted to understanding and illuminating the extraordinary Khmer civilization.
Participation Opportunities: Visitors interested in promoting the importance of women in history are invited to help in vital areas including translation (French to English, English to Khmer), promoting online visibility of women in history (Wikipedia, blogs, etc.), promoting these stories in conventional media (newspapers, TV, radio) and contributing their own ideas, research and papers (including for potential publication).
Devata Store: Soon we’ll offer beautiful products to promote our philosophy and our discoveries while helping non-profit causes.
