A heavenly dancer from Hindu mythology. These creatures entertained the gods and were given to warriors who died bravely as rewards. They were used extensively to decorate Khmer temple walls and are characterized by the light airy movement, their beautiful faces and smiles and their elaborate hairstyle and jewelry.
Avalokitesvara:
A Bodhisattva who shows compassion.
Balustrade:
An architectural term for a railing, often on a staircase. It is usually carved in Khmer temples.
Baray:
An artificial reservoir used for irrigation and water supply.
Bas-relief:
Carving on a straight or curved surface in which the figures project from the background.
Bodhisattva:
A Buddhist person who is making the spiritual journey towards the state of being a full Buddha, who voluntarily decides not to become a full Buddha, and remains on earth to help mankind.
Brahma:
A Hindu god who was the creator of all things.
Brahmin (or Brahman):
A Hindu priest.
Corbelled Arch:
A false arch often used in Khmer architecture. Corbels, or jutting stones, project from opposite walls so that they meet at the top to form an arch.
Deva:
A male spirit. Devata is the female spirit.
Devaraja:
The cult of a god-king which was developed by Jayavarman II in Cambodia around AD800 and became the basis for the religion practiced by future Khmer kings. The king was the earthly representative of the god Siva.
Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient:
A society which grew out of the exploration at Angkor by French archaeologists and scholars at the end of the 19th century. It was by far the most important organization to undertake the restoration of the temples of Angkor.
Hariharalaya:
The Hindu god which is made up of the gods Siva and Vishnu in one image. It is also the name of King Jayavarman II's city, near the site of Angkor.
Hinayana Buddhism:
A more moderate form of Buddhism than Mahayana Buddhism. The doctrine of Buddhism is worshiped rather than the actual Buddha. It is also called Theravada Buddhism.
Indo-China:
The region consisting of the countries of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. It was called `Indo-China' by the 19th-century Europeans because of the joint cultural influence of India and China on the region.
Laterite:
Red stone which forms a very hard building material when dried.
Linga:
A phallus-shaped statue which represents the spirit of the Hindu god Siva.
Lintel:
The top part of an entrance spanning the doorway. It is often decorated with carvings.
Mahabharata:
An epic Hindu poem written between 400BC and AD200.
Mahayana:
A more advanced and later form of Buddhism in which Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are worshiped as gods.
Naga:
A snake with many heads. It is associated with creation, water and rainbows in Hindu mythology and was used extensively in Khmer architectural decoration.
Nandin:
A sacred bull on which the god Siva rode.
Phnom:
The Khmer word for hill.
Prasat(prasada in Indian):
A temple tower used in both Indian and Khmer architecture.
Preah:
The Khmer word for sacred.
Ramayana:
The greatest romantic epic poem in Hindu literature. The story is about Rama, the god Vishnu in an earthly form, trying to recover his wife, Sita, who was snatched by a demon named Ravana. Ravana is characterized with many heads and arms.
Siva:
The Hindu god of chaos, destruction and rebirth.
Theravada Buddhism:
The traditional form of Buddhism, also called Hinayana.
Trimurti:
The trinity of the Hindu gods Siva, Vishnu and Brahma.
Veda:
The sacred books of knowledge which contain the instruction of the Hindu religion used by brahmins.
