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The southern gate to the walled city of Angkor Thom, one of five gates. This is another scene of the “Churning of the Ocean of Milk” in which gods and demons churn the water with Vasuki, the gargantuan serpent with seven heads, extracting the Elixir of Immortality.

Inside, elephants wear a red fabric on their backs and take tourists on rides, but they once played a significant role in the construction and defense of Angkor. When I went on the elephant ride up the hill, I could only try to imagine what it must have been like when warrior-kings led battles on the backs of these huge animals. The mahout sat with his feet on the elephant’s ears and seemed to be directing it this way.

Stay tuned for the last part of the series on Angkor Wat: the towers of 216 enigmatic faces – their mysterious smiles would make the Mona Lisa jealous.

Angkor Wat 1: The world’s largest religious complex

Angkor Wat 2: Mount Meru, devas and the universe

Angkor Wat 4: Towers of enigmatic faces

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