And the guardian deity remains imperturbed

By: Louk Vreeswijk

Sep 16 2012

Tags: , ,

Category: Asia, Cambodia

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Are the tree roots going to destroy the Gopura or are they supporting the structure and preventing it from falling apart? I think they are doing both. The building can easily tolerate the slow advances of the tree, at first but after some time the roots start showing their destructive power. They loosen the coherence between the stones, while at the same time keeping them together in a tight embrace. This seemingly symbiotic relationship between the two is an intermediate phase. In the end nature takes over completely and the historical monument will collapse to the ground.

Photo of the week: East Gopura, Ta Som temple (end 12th century), Angkor, Cambodia, 2000

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