Angkor Wat West Wall [ Gopura ] & 259 Khmer Ladies

• The front wall of Angkor Wat is called the West Gopura. ''Gopura '' means... Here is the main entrance and gateway to this enormous temple complex. Visitors going inside the Temple can access through three porticos and additionally there are two larger door ways for elephants and now vehicles.
• Here on the exterior wall is the public display of 124 individually carved Devatas positioned along the exterior of the wall. There are a further 119 Devatas on the interior side of this western wall and 8 in each elephant gateway at the south and north points.
  
• This is a display of 259 individual women from the 12 th century each dressed in the costumes of the time.These costumes are unusual to the modern eye and exciting. They display a flair of showmanship, the faces are lovely, the bodies slender and in the fashion of the time, substantially naked.
  
• This is the most prominent position for the outside world to see, so why these beautiful ladies ? No one knows the answer. They have been on display here for over 1,000 years.

The inside wall of the West Gopura at Angkor Wat

• The outside wall faced the general public and the sun setting in the west. The inside wall faces the rising morning Sun and in terms of the day, the Sun God, Surya. Here line the 119 Devatas facing this eastern vista and the temple itself. Tourists should walk at the foot of this wall along its south - north line and discover some very beautiful ladies.
• Additionally here also are excellent locations to photograph the temple in the east.