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Nandana Mariwala

Cambodia is a paradox of sorts. On the one hand, you have beautiful temples and monumental buildings and on the other, a brutal, unforgiving past. And in the midst of it all, hope holds out.

The memorial stupa at the Cheoung Ek Killing Field

A visit to Cambodia actually puts stark reality into new perspective. Quite unlike India, Cambodia seems to have locked itself into a terrifying time capsule. Here, time actually stands still watching the rest of us rush by.

The image of Cambodia that one has is that of a country known for its architecture and home to one of the seven wonders of our ancient world. However, a recent visit to the place contrasted sharply with this picture. As we made our descent into Phnom Penh Pochentong International Airport, the city stood out like a concrete monstrosity set in the midst of lush paddy fields, the perfect example of disproportionate urban growth in a predominantly rural area. And the international airport was a misnomer. Situated in a rather characterless building, the airport was a scene of complete chaos, and looked more like a railway station instead. Commuting from the main terminal to the domestic terminal was quite an ordeal as one had to tread cautiously through unbuilt pathways and unless you were a seasoned trolley pusher, you couldn't make it between terminals without any luggage spill over.

Finally, after a long wait we boarded our colourful aircraft, looking completely out of place in its surroundings, and were soon headed towards to Siem Reap. In an hour-and-a-half, we touched Siem Reap International Airport, meticulously maintained and well on its way to complete modernisation. It was quite clear that Siem Reap's local authorities knew their future was in tourism and all efforts were being made to ensure that it was well promoted.

From here we headed to the city, a half-an-hour's drive from the airport. The landscape that flew past comprised mainly of paddy fields interspersed with quaint little houses, hoisted on stilts for protection against floods. Soon the green fields gave way to high-rising buildings — we were in the heart of the city. So far Cambodia had been slightly disconcerting, but we were sure that tomorrow would be a better day.

Early the next morning, we set off for Angkor Wat, the entry to which is rigidly controlled and expensive. Every visitor had to pay for identity cards with photographs. Interestingly, no one asked for Cambodian currency, the Riel, and all transactions were made in US dollars. The drive from the gate to the main complex took us past a troupe of cheerful looking Cambodian men and women on bicycles sporting large palm leaf hats, very similar to the ones in Kerala. As we approached Angkor Wat, we found many children skipping school to sell artefacts. Surprisingly, all of them spoke with heavy American accents, sounding like they had been schooled by the leftover American GI's.

We proceeded on towards the Angkor Conservation complex, which houses many temple complexes, the most visited being Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat. Our guide, Visith, had many a tale to tell. This temple, he said, was the work of many Kings, some of whom were Mahayana Buddhist and others who were Hindu converts. The religious influences stood out in the architecture and reliefs, which depicted the Mahabharata in detail. The other important carvings included the Churning of the Ocean, the many Apsaras and numerous busts and statues of Lord Buddha.

Each of the intricate carvings had a story to tell, and reflected the ancient rulers' deep desire for perfection and divinity.

It is said that these temples were destroyed time and again, first by the Vietnamese Chams and then by the Thai invaders. They were then rebuilt by the Khmer regime starting with King Udayadityavarman I. Angkor Wat was converted into a Buddhist shrine by Khmer royalty in the 16th century and is now being extensively redone by the French Government. The intricate detailing leave one spellbound and it is difficult to accept that a people with such a rich heritage could have inflicted such intense destruction in recent years.

A Buddha statue at Angkor Thom.

Our next destination was Angkor Thom, the walled city built by Jayavarman VII. Five monumental gates tower at the city's entrance and are crowned by four gigantic faces of the Boddhisatva Avalokiteshwara. The Bayon, which is the most important part of this complex, has 54 gothic towers with over 200 smiling, but cold faces of the Boddhisatva; he is said to be watching over the 54 provinces which the old Khmer kingdom was supposedly divided into. The Bayon faces east, and makes a stunning sight as the rays of the rising sun radiate each face of the Boddhisatva.

The reliefs in the Bayon depict the daily life of the Cambodian citizen — people playing chess, cockfights, military processions, Brahmins with their dangling pig-tails and even a Khmer circus! We spent the next two days visiting the many other temples in the Angkor complex, such as the Banteay Srei, a Shiva temple, which is, today, being restored by the Indian Government. As a matter of fact, many temples here are under renovation, and each is being restored by a different country.

Despite their brutal past, the Cambodians, as we soon discovered, were a warm, cheerful and hospitable people. Yet, when one mentioned the Khmer Rouge (the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979, in which approximately 1.7 million people were massacred), the fear on their faces was frighteningly real. Our guide told us about how, as a young boy, he witnessed a starving man being buried alive for stealing one potato!

This is just one of the many "horror" stories one hears. Books such as When Broke Glass Floats and Stay Alive, My Son are heartbreaking. It was hard to believe that man could be so cruel to his own kind. In fact, the Killing Fields at Cheoung Ek only re-emphasise the brutality of the Khmer Rouge.

Here stands a Memorial Stupa with over 8,000 skulls of infants, children, men and women arranged according to sex and age behind glass panels. These are only some of the 17,000 people exterminated between 1975-1979; they were bludgeoned, tortured or slammed against trees till they died. Every tree has a plaque with numbers of the dead and the urge to flee the scene was overwhelming.

Here was a country and people who were impoverished and far behind in time, with little access to what we in India take for granted such as electricity, education and medical facilities. Yet against all these odds, it was the "hope for a better future" that kept them alive.

Our next destination, a cheerful indoor market, provided that much needed reprieve. We milled around stalls of jewellery, silverware, woodworked mementos; there was so much to buy. The ever-smiling shopkeepers bargained enthusiastically and made sure that we left pleased. After burning holes in our pockets, we set out to an Art Center, for an extended shopping spree. It was interesting to learn that the Centre, which was funded by the French, taught art free to anyone who wanted to learn.

Soon, it was time to say goodbye. Suddenly the similarities between India and Cambodia were clear. Here were two countries with very similar cultures, religious affiliations and problems. Unfortunately, Cambodia had been the victim of a terrible and gruesome Civil war and was working hard to make up for lost time.

As we boarded the plane back home, we couldn't help wondering if Cambodia had still been a part of India and the Cambodians believe it still is, would it have been so far behind?

Pictures by the author

Fact file

How to get there

By air: There are two international airports in Cambodia that are well connected with the neighbouring countries.

By land: All neighbouring countries have border crossing with Cambodia. Here are some tips when reaching Cambodia via these countries.

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