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Bolton Community College students raise cash for canines
BOLTON Community College students have raised over £700 for Canine Partners - a charity specialising in providing trained dog assistance to people with disabilities.
37 visually impaired and D/deaf students, 15 members of staff and three guide dogs completed the annual three mile walk around Jumbles Reservoir in May 2009, which raised £707.50 for the charitable cause.
A cheque presentation took place at the College this week when Malcolm Wells from Canine Partners received a cheque from Carol Bannerman, Bolton Community College’s Principal.
Presenting the cheque, Carol said: “I am very proud of our students who gave up their time to raise this fantastic sum of money for a very worthwhile cause. A big well done to all those involved.”
For more information visit us at www.boltoncollege.ac.uk or search for us on Facebook and Twitter
Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain, and is the most visited stone circle in Cumbria. Every year thousands of people visit it to look, photograph, draw and wonder why and when and by whom it was built. The stone circle is on the level top of a low hill with nice views to the towns in the valleys. There are 38 stones in a circle approximately 30 metres in diameter. Within the ring is a rectangle of a further 10 standing stones. The tallest stone is 2.3 metres high. It was probably built around 3000 BC - the beginning of the later Neolithic Period - and is one of the earliest stone circles in Britain. It is important in terms of megalithic astronomy and geometry, as the construction contains significant astronomical alignments. Although its origins are unknown it is believed that it was used for ceremonial or religious purposes.
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Cercul de pietre de la Castlerigg este unul dintre cele mai imporante monumente preistorice şi cel mai vizitat de acest fel din Cumbria. In fiecare an, mii de persoane vin sǎ priveascǎ, sǎ fotografieze, sǎ deseneze şi sǎ se întrebe când, de ce şi cine construit bizarul ansamblu. Cercul de pietre se aflǎ pe o platformǎ situatǎ pe vârful unui deal de micǎ înǎlţime, cu privelişti frumoase cǎtre oraşele din vale. Ansamblul este format din 38 de pietre aşezate într-un cerc cu diametrul de cca. 30 metri. In interiorul cercului se aflǎ un dreptunghi alcǎtuit din 10 pietre. Cea mai înaltǎ piatrǎ are 2.3 metri. Ansamblul a fost construit probabil la începutul perioadei neolitice (în jurul anului 3000 î.Ch.) şi este unul dintre cele mai vechi cercuri de piatrǎ din Marea Britanie. Este un monument important din punct de vedere al astronomiei şi geometriei megalitice, întrucât construcţia conţine unele similitudini astronomice semnificative. Deşi originea ansamblului nu este cunoscutǎ, se presupune cǎ a fost folosit în scopuri ceremoniale şi religioase.
Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. Angkor Wat is the centerpiece of any visit to the temples of Angkor.
At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region, Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. It served as his state temple, though the temple’s uncommon westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Suryavarman II’s funerary temple. Other temples of the same style and period include Thommanon, Banteay Samre, Wat Atwea and Beng Melea, which may have served as a prototype to Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. The temple itself is 1 km square and consists of three levels surmounted by a central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered apsara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. But it is the exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical wars of Suryavarman II. It is in the viewing of the bas-reliefs that a tour guide can be very helpful.
The northern reflecting pool in front is the most popular sunrise location. For sunrise, arrive very early, well before sunrise begins. The sun will rise behind Angkor Wat providing a silhouette of Angkor’s distinctively shaped towers against a colored sunrise sky. Some of the best colors appear just before the sun breaks over the horizon.
The visual impact of Angkor Wat, particularly on one's first visit, is awesome. As you pass through the outer gate and get your first glimpse, its size and architecture make it appear two dimensional, like a giant postcard photo against the sky. After you cross through the gate and approach the temple along the walkway it slowly gains depth and complexity. To maximize this effect you should make your first visit in optimal lighting conditions, i.e. after 2:00PM. Do not make your first visit to Angkor Wat in the morning when the backlighting obscures the view.
The first level of is the most artistically interesting. Most visitors begin their exploration with the bas-reliefs that cover the exterior wall of the first level, following the bas-reliefs counterclockwise around the temple. Bas-relief highlights include the mythological Battle of Kuru on the west wall; the historical march of the army of Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat, against the Cham, followed by scenes from Heaven and Hell on the south wall; and the classic ‘Churning of the Ocean Milk’ on the east wall.
The temple interior is not as densely carved as the first level exterior, but still sports hundreds of fine carvings of apsaras and scenes from Hindu mythology. A guide can be quite helpful in explaining the stories of the various chambers, statues and architectural forms to be found in the interior. At the upper-most of your tour of the temple, the central tower on the third level houses four Buddha images, each facing a different cardinal point, highlighting the fact that though Angkor Wat was constructed as a Hindu temple, it has served as a Buddhist temple since Buddhism became Cambodia’s dominant religion in the 14th century. Some say that it is good luck to pay homage to all four Buddha images before departing Angkor.
Source: Canby Publications Co., Ltd
Photo Title: Visually impaired student equipped with portable video magnifier
Submitted by: Yazan Gammoh
Category: ♥ HOPE
Country: Jordan
Organization: Lions Clubs Jordan
Photo Caption: Ayoub, a severely visually impaired AlDhiaa Association graduate has finished high school and is embarking on the next journey of studying at the university.
We were able to donate a portable CCTV that would allow him to see the college textbooks through donations from LCIF and Lions Clubs Jordan.
Good luck Ayoub!
Disclaimer: Photo taken with permission of the student’s parents. All Dhiaa Association parents sign a consent form that grants AlDhiaa permission to access and publish any material including photos.
Professional or Amateur Photographer: Amateur
Country where the photo was taken: Jordan
Photo uploaded for the #LoveYourEyes Photo Competition on iapb.org held for World Sight Day 2021.
Photographer:
It's tough to drive around New Zealand because you really want to look out the windows at the landscape around you.
The Green Icon
Photo on Paper
24" by 20"
Annie Hesse
Bellevue, WA
I have been legally blind since birth as a result of Congenital Cataracts. After eye surgery for glaucoma 12 years ago, I lost the sight in what was the better eye. I see color, shape, form and contrast globally without any detail or depth perception from only one eye. I am visually attracted to what I cannot see with the unaided eye. The camera’s lens enables me to freeze time, as in a still from a film, and focus on the fast-paced, moving world that is a kaleidoscopic blur, especially in an unfamiliar environment as in the images presented here. In other cases, I am inspired by the various combinations of light, shadow and texture at close range. My intention is to show the viewer not only what I see, but how I see it. When I focus on something with the unaided eye, I see only a very small detailed area. I cannot always do this without my camera. Travel, culture, lifestyle and close-up details are major themes in my artwork.
Visually Goose Fair is adorned with amazing artwork which possibly gets overlooked. In 2022 I created a short video focusing on it, check it out!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ix1jE9Nt80
These series of photos were taken 28 Sept 2023, the day before the official opening of the fair. People were busy making final adjustments to rides, checking electrics, stock of foods, drinks, gifts and so on.
The Nottingham Goose Fair is an annual travelling funfair held at the Forest Recreation Ground here in Nottingham. This year, 2023, it runs for 10 days, usually it's 3 days.
Album: Goose Fair. Nottingham
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No Group Banners, thanks.
Day 2. Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. Angkor Wat is the centerpiece of any visit to the temples of Angkor.
At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region, Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. It served as his state temple, though the temple’s uncommon westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Suryavarman II’s funerary temple. Other temples of the same style and period include Thommanon, Banteay Samre, Wat Atwea and Beng Melea, which may have served as a prototype to Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. The temple itself is 1 km square and consists of three levels surmounted by a central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered apsara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. But it is the exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical wars of Suryavarman II. It is in the viewing of the bas-reliefs that a tour guide can be very helpful.
The northern reflecting pool in front is the most popular sunrise location. For sunrise, arrive very early, well before sunrise begins. The sun will rise behind Angkor Wat providing a silhouette of Angkor’s distinctively shaped towers against a colored sunrise sky. Some of the best colors appear just before the sun breaks over the horizon.
The visual impact of Angkor Wat, particularly on one's first visit, is awesome. As you pass through the outer gate and get your first glimpse, its size and architecture make it appear two dimensional, like a giant postcard photo against the sky. After you cross through the gate and approach the temple along the walkway it slowly gains depth and complexity. To maximize this effect you should make your first visit in optimal lighting conditions, i.e. after 2:00PM. Do not make your first visit to Angkor Wat in the morning when the backlighting obscures the view.
The first level of is the most artistically interesting. Most visitors begin their exploration with the bas-reliefs that cover the exterior wall of the first level, following the bas-reliefs counterclockwise around the temple. Bas-relief highlights include the mythological Battle of Kuru on the west wall; the historical march of the army of Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat, against the Cham, followed by scenes from Heaven and Hell on the south wall; and the classic ‘Churning of the Ocean Milk’ on the east wall.
The temple interior is not as densely carved as the first level exterior, but still sports hundreds of fine carvings of apsaras and scenes from Hindu mythology. A guide can be quite helpful in explaining the stories of the various chambers, statues and architectural forms to be found in the interior. At the upper-most of your tour of the temple, the central tower on the third level houses four Buddha images, each facing a different cardinal point, highlighting the fact that though Angkor Wat was constructed as a Hindu temple, it has served as a Buddhist temple since Buddhism became Cambodia’s dominant religion in the 14th century. Some say that it is good luck to pay homage to all four Buddha images before departing Angkor.
Source: Canby Publications Co., Ltd
Visually the most amazing gig I ever photographed. Amon Tobin ISAM live at the London Roundhouse. See the full set on live on 35mm
Beneath each photograph taken by the visually impaired persons are descriptions using Braille ( 凸字or 點字 ) and an "extruded" picture. These two items are for the blind people to appreciate the photos.
I closed my eyes and placed my hand onto the slightly extruded picture. I tried very hard, but I could not "feel" the image. We are just too fortunate to have healthy eye sights. Imagine how we can take pictures, appreciate our friends' photos on Flickr or live our daily life if we are blind. (......... help the disadvantaged people if you can!)
Walking Shapes meld driving guitars, intricate arrangements and visually evocative songwriting into stunning audio refractions on New Yorkâs sonic landscape. Musically, the albumâs debut single "Woah Tiger" sets the tone for Taka Come On â fast paced, slightly grimy and sexy with Hoho's soaring falsetto riding a sonically churning wave, evolving into a primal scream as the verse hits the chorus. If "Woah Tiger" walks a similar path to My Morning Jacket's Evil Urges, the album itself is so versatile, yet concise, that the band's influences are hard to pinpoint. While an extensive guitar solo wouldnât be out of place on a Black Rebel Motorcycle Club record, the organized chaos of a song like "Winter Fell" could be the bastard child of Syd Barrett's post-Pink Floyd albums and Kings of Leon's Because Of The Times. Yet, ultimately, Walking Shapes craft catchy pop songs, reminiscent of the Flaming Lips, such as "Feel Good." Recorded at the No Shame recording studio in Soho, NY, Walking Shapes enlisted producer Gus Oberg (The Strokes, Willie Nelson, and Ryan Adams) to round out the epic, 'Taka Come On.'
Pop Art - a rolling daily diary comprising a manipulated digital art collage that visually documents a local, political or international event of popular culture based on fractured photographic images.
The work is premised on the basis that Pop art in its beginnings, freeze-framed what consumers of popular culture experienced into iconic visual abstractions. With the advent of the techno age, visual information circulates in such quantities, so rapidly and exponentially, that to comprehend a fraction of it all becomes a kind of production process in itself.
Adapting Pop Arts notion of mass media imagery into a context of the contemporary digital age, this work draws on a myriad points of reference. Utilizing fractured images to provide an allusion to the digital noise pounding away daily into our subconsciousness.
This work diverges from the traditional Pop Art notion of a pronounced repetition of a consumer icon, instead focusing on the deluge of contemporary digital content. The compilation of the fragmented imagery is vividly distractive, not unlike cable surfing or a jaunt through Times Square.
This work considers elements of Pop Art through an artistic and conceptual exploration of specific people and events of the day. The works are diaristic in nature that metaphorically record a spectators experience of the contemporary digital age.
The Illusion of Free Choice - When the system controls the complete spectrum of ideas they can limit the issues debated. This picture visually explains the False/Left Right Paradigm. Learning on each other the Republicans and Democrats can lead us to the slaughter house. SurvivalBros.com
Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. Angkor Wat is the centerpiece of any visit to the temples of Angkor.
At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region, Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. It served as his state temple, though the temple’s uncommon westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Suryavarman II’s funerary temple. Other temples of the same style and period include Thommanon, Banteay Samre, Wat Atwea and Beng Melea, which may have served as a prototype to Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. The temple itself is 1 km square and consists of three levels surmounted by a central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered apsara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. But it is the exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical wars of Suryavarman II. It is in the viewing of the bas-reliefs that a tour guide can be very helpful.
The northern reflecting pool in front is the most popular sunrise location. For sunrise, arrive very early, well before sunrise begins. The sun will rise behind Angkor Wat providing a silhouette of Angkor’s distinctively shaped towers against a colored sunrise sky. Some of the best colors appear just before the sun breaks over the horizon.
The visual impact of Angkor Wat, particularly on one's first visit, is awesome. As you pass through the outer gate and get your first glimpse, its size and architecture make it appear two dimensional, like a giant postcard photo against the sky. After you cross through the gate and approach the temple along the walkway it slowly gains depth and complexity. To maximize this effect you should make your first visit in optimal lighting conditions, i.e. after 2:00PM. Do not make your first visit to Angkor Wat in the morning when the backlighting obscures the view.
The first level of is the most artistically interesting. Most visitors begin their exploration with the bas-reliefs that cover the exterior wall of the first level, following the bas-reliefs counterclockwise around the temple. Bas-relief highlights include the mythological Battle of Kuru on the west wall; the historical march of the army of Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat, against the Cham, followed by scenes from Heaven and Hell on the south wall; and the classic ‘Churning of the Ocean Milk’ on the east wall.
The temple interior is not as densely carved as the first level exterior, but still sports hundreds of fine carvings of apsaras and scenes from Hindu mythology. A guide can be quite helpful in explaining the stories of the various chambers, statues and architectural forms to be found in the interior. At the upper-most of your tour of the temple, the central tower on the third level houses four Buddha images, each facing a different cardinal point, highlighting the fact that though Angkor Wat was constructed as a Hindu temple, it has served as a Buddhist temple since Buddhism became Cambodia’s dominant religion in the 14th century. Some say that it is good luck to pay homage to all four Buddha images before departing Angkor.
Source: Canby Publications Co., Ltd
Day 2. Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. Angkor Wat is the centerpiece of any visit to the temples of Angkor.
At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region, Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. It served as his state temple, though the temple’s uncommon westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Suryavarman II’s funerary temple. Other temples of the same style and period include Thommanon, Banteay Samre, Wat Atwea and Beng Melea, which may have served as a prototype to Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. The temple itself is 1 km square and consists of three levels surmounted by a central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered apsara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. But it is the exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical wars of Suryavarman II. It is in the viewing of the bas-reliefs that a tour guide can be very helpful.
The northern reflecting pool in front is the most popular sunrise location. For sunrise, arrive very early, well before sunrise begins. The sun will rise behind Angkor Wat providing a silhouette of Angkor’s distinctively shaped towers against a colored sunrise sky. Some of the best colors appear just before the sun breaks over the horizon.
The visual impact of Angkor Wat, particularly on one's first visit, is awesome. As you pass through the outer gate and get your first glimpse, its size and architecture make it appear two dimensional, like a giant postcard photo against the sky. After you cross through the gate and approach the temple along the walkway it slowly gains depth and complexity. To maximize this effect you should make your first visit in optimal lighting conditions, i.e. after 2:00PM. Do not make your first visit to Angkor Wat in the morning when the backlighting obscures the view.
The first level of is the most artistically interesting. Most visitors begin their exploration with the bas-reliefs that cover the exterior wall of the first level, following the bas-reliefs counterclockwise around the temple. Bas-relief highlights include the mythological Battle of Kuru on the west wall; the historical march of the army of Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat, against the Cham, followed by scenes from Heaven and Hell on the south wall; and the classic ‘Churning of the Ocean Milk’ on the east wall.
The temple interior is not as densely carved as the first level exterior, but still sports hundreds of fine carvings of apsaras and scenes from Hindu mythology. A guide can be quite helpful in explaining the stories of the various chambers, statues and architectural forms to be found in the interior. At the upper-most of your tour of the temple, the central tower on the third level houses four Buddha images, each facing a different cardinal point, highlighting the fact that though Angkor Wat was constructed as a Hindu temple, it has served as a Buddhist temple since Buddhism became Cambodia’s dominant religion in the 14th century. Some say that it is good luck to pay homage to all four Buddha images before departing Angkor.
Source: Canby Publications Co., Ltd
Pop Art - a rolling daily diary comprising a manipulated digital art collage that visually documents a local, political or international event of popular culture based on fractured photographic images.
The work is premised on the basis that Pop art in its beginnings, freeze-framed what consumers of popular culture experienced into iconic visual abstractions. With the advent of the techno age, visual information circulates in such quantities, so rapidly and exponentially, that to comprehend a fraction of it all becomes a kind of production process in itself.
Adapting Pop Arts notion of mass media imagery into a context of the contemporary digital age, this work draws on a myriad points of reference. Utilizing fractured images to provide an allusion to the digital noise pounding away daily into our subconsciousness.
This work diverges from the traditional Pop Art notion of a pronounced repetition of a consumer icon, instead focusing on the deluge of contemporary digital content. The compilation of the fragmented imagery is vividly distractive, not unlike cable surfing or a jaunt through Times Square.
This work considers elements of Pop Art through an artistic and conceptual exploration of specific people and events of the day. The works are diaristic in nature that metaphorically record a spectators experience of the contemporary digital age.
Visually this might be the best-looking dish just like a watercolor painting. This was also by far the best dish of the night. The squid was so soft that they almost taste like glass noodles to me. The black garlic definitely helped enhance the flavors.
Visually sums up how I'm feeling today. Maybe it's the rain, or the rain combined with listening to the soundtrack to Showtime's Dexter (which is eerily beautiful; the music that is and particularly the link below), or the fact that we're out of bacon in the house . . . I dunno, but I'm feeling blah.
Visually, a failed "gradient experiment". I <3 these mics, tho-- the B.L.U.E. Baby Bottle and the Shure SM57. This is my usual vocal setup...
A final experiment attempting to visually classify locations by the stated perceptions of people living there. The general questions asked concerned both whether people wanted to move to their current location, how attached they felt to their surrounding neighbourhood and whether they expected things to improve over the next 5 years. Magenta brings together a scale based on negatives, Green on positives. Where equal numbers of positive and negative coexist they combined to make white. The Alpha channel is used to convey the relative number of overall respondents - so the more intense the colour the more people surveyed. Finally, magenta and green were chosen as its the colour scheme (according to Cynthia Brewer) most understandable by all forms of colour blindness.
Visually and sonically, this was one of the sexiest shows I've ever seen. A new fave.
All images Copyright © David Brendan Hall. Please do NOT steal or repost my images without prior consent & proper credit. Please e-mail directly for inquiries regarding prints and licensing.
Visually Goose Fair is adorned with amazing artwork which possibly gets overlooked. In 2022 I created a short video focusing on it, check it out!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ix1jE9Nt80
These series of photos were taken 28 Sept 2023, the day before the official opening of the fair. People were busy making final adjustments to rides, checking electrics, stock of foods, drinks, gifts and so on.
The Nottingham Goose Fair is an annual travelling funfair held at the Forest Recreation Ground here in Nottingham. This year, 2023, it runs for 10 days, usually it's 3 days.
Album: Goose Fair. Nottingham
--
No Group Banners, thanks.
My 'Art Mache Paint Palette Beads' are finally finished and I feel a great sense of achievement as well as a feeling of relief and 'thank the lord, they're finished!!!'
They have turned out as I planned them to - a 'lentil bead' shape with a textured surface, painted with a background colour (black or white) with gold metallic paint brushed gently across the bead to visually enhance the texture. Yippeeeeeeeeee!!!
This shows the British Blind & Visually Impaired Shooting Championships taking place at the WMRSC at Aldersley, Wolverhampton. These are two of the shooters competing in the seated class, shooting air rifles in the 10-metre range. Each shooter has a helper who will assist with re-loading, and the initial lining-up of the rifle with the target so that the shooter can pick up the sound signal from the acoustic aiming equipment in his or her headphones.
Visually challenged youth clueless after duped by Saradha in Guwahati
twocircles.net/2013apr29/visually_challenged_youth_cluele...
Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. Angkor Wat is the centerpiece of any visit to the temples of Angkor.
At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region, Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. It served as his state temple, though the temple’s uncommon westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Suryavarman II’s funerary temple. Other temples of the same style and period include Thommanon, Banteay Samre, Wat Atwea and Beng Melea, which may have served as a prototype to Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. The temple itself is 1 km square and consists of three levels surmounted by a central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered apsara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. But it is the exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical wars of Suryavarman II. It is in the viewing of the bas-reliefs that a tour guide can be very helpful.
The northern reflecting pool in front is the most popular sunrise location. For sunrise, arrive very early, well before sunrise begins. The sun will rise behind Angkor Wat providing a silhouette of Angkor’s distinctively shaped towers against a colored sunrise sky. Some of the best colors appear just before the sun breaks over the horizon.
The visual impact of Angkor Wat, particularly on one's first visit, is awesome. As you pass through the outer gate and get your first glimpse, its size and architecture make it appear two dimensional, like a giant postcard photo against the sky. After you cross through the gate and approach the temple along the walkway it slowly gains depth and complexity. To maximize this effect you should make your first visit in optimal lighting conditions, i.e. after 2:00PM. Do not make your first visit to Angkor Wat in the morning when the backlighting obscures the view.
The first level of is the most artistically interesting. Most visitors begin their exploration with the bas-reliefs that cover the exterior wall of the first level, following the bas-reliefs counterclockwise around the temple. Bas-relief highlights include the mythological Battle of Kuru on the west wall; the historical march of the army of Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat, against the Cham, followed by scenes from Heaven and Hell on the south wall; and the classic ‘Churning of the Ocean Milk’ on the east wall.
The temple interior is not as densely carved as the first level exterior, but still sports hundreds of fine carvings of apsaras and scenes from Hindu mythology. A guide can be quite helpful in explaining the stories of the various chambers, statues and architectural forms to be found in the interior. At the upper-most of your tour of the temple, the central tower on the third level houses four Buddha images, each facing a different cardinal point, highlighting the fact that though Angkor Wat was constructed as a Hindu temple, it has served as a Buddhist temple since Buddhism became Cambodia’s dominant religion in the 14th century. Some say that it is good luck to pay homage to all four Buddha images before departing Angkor.
Source: Canby Publications Co., Ltd
"Visually, the male is highly distinctive and is easily recognized by its mane. The head of the male lion is one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture. It has been depicted extensively in literature, in sculptures, in paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature" (Wikipedia)