Bayon Temple gets its name from the religious significance of the banyan tree, which grow in a large number on this site. There are nearly 54 towers in the temple and the main tower is called the Golden Tower, which has four faces of Buddha facing in all four directions. These faces are said to represent the charming smile, sad smile, glad smile, and beautiful smile. The walls of the temple have carvings on nearly 11,000 figures depicting the battle between Khmer and Champa, everyday domestic life, and the inner gallery primarily illustrating mythological tales.
Visiting ancient temples not only provides insight about the culture, tradition, arts etc., of the civilization, but also gives wings to visualization of the people and the culture of those bygone eras. Same is with Bayon Temple at Angkor, that was built from the early eleventh to the late twelfth century A.D.
Do not get impassive about the temple when looking from far, because it looks like a beautiful pile of rubble from a distance, but on reaching the third level you will realize the wonder laid out before your eyes. Millions of visitors arriving here are filled with awe looking at the 216 serenely smiling faces of Buddha carved on stone towers throughout the Buddhist temple at Bayon.
Why is Bayon Temple famous? Why visit it? Is it worth a visit? You will surely find out when you set your foot in Cambodia. Look out for 51 towers with the four smiling face in each direction. The amazing part is all the face are carved very similar to each other. Looking at the face one can feel calm and peaceful too. As the orientation of the temple is towards East, morning visit is preferred but Bayon looks as spectacular in the afternoon too.
(In the temple) The four faced Buddha
There are three levels to see, visit all the three levels:
- First two levels are square in shape and are adorned with bas-reliefs.
- Third is a circular level and has towers and their faces.
The outer gallery: historical events and everyday life.
The inner gallery: depictions of mythological events.
The upper terrace: 200 faces of Lokesvara.
The central tower and sanctuary
It is about 10 km from the city center. One can hire taxis, motorbikes, bicycles, tuk-tuks or tour buses. The general rate of a taxis for a full day is $30 for 2 people.
The best option is to hire a tuk-tuk, which has a full day cost of $13 to $16 and can accommodate 4 people. The rates can be negotiated as per the distance and time.
Motorbikes cost for a full day range $3 to $10 and are easily available in the city at all places. The rates can be negotiated based on time and distance.
Sunday: 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday: 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Thursday: 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Waiting Time
None
Entrance Fee
There is no separate fee for Bayon Temple. It is included in the Ankor pass
Admission fee for 1 day: 37 USD or 151150.55 Cambodian riel /person
Admission fee for 3 days: 62 USD or 253279.30 Cambodian riel /person
Admission fee for 7 days: 72 USD or 294130.80 Cambodian riel /person
Time you can spend
1 hour to 2 hours
Weather
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