Portal:Hinduism/Selected article/5
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Angkor Wat is a well known Hindu temple at Angkor, Cambodia. The temple was built for king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. The largest and best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre—first Hindu, then Buddhist—since its foundation. The temple itself has become a symbol of Cambodia as it appears on its national flag. The temple is also noted for being the country's prime tourist attraction. The temples style is an example of Khmer architecture, or the Angkor Wat style.
Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temples. This style is designed to represent Mount Meru, which is the home of the gods in Hindu mythology. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this.
