Quahog.org > Attractions > Angkor Wat Replica Angkor Wat ReplicaThe eighth wonder next door! Wat Dhamagosnaram, 2870 Plainfield Pike, Cranston Angkor Wat, covering about 500 acres near Siem Reap, Cambodia, is the largest Hindu temple complex in the world. Constructed between AD 1113 and 1152 to honor the Hindu God Vishnu, it has become a national symbol of Cambodia, and a major tourist attraction.
Although the original began as a Hindu temple, by the end of the thirteenth century it had become more identified with Buddhism, and has continued so since, which is why a Buddhist temple in Cranston would choose it as a symbol of national and spiritual pride. This replica of Angkor Wat may be unique in Cranston and Rhode Island, but such replicas are not unique in the world. Various models of various sizes may be found in Cambodia, Thailand, India, China, Japan, and the United States. They are made of stone, wood, paper, even Legos. There's even a group in India that has vowed to build a plus-sized replica in Bihar, India, drawing protests from the Cambodian government that their heritage is being unfairly expropriated.
One of the aims of the temple is to educate the public about the genocide that occurred in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979, when 1.7 to 2.3 million people were slaughtered by the communist Khmer Rouge, a horror that is still fresh in the minds of many Cambodian-Americans today.
InformationCost: free Time required: Allow at least 15 minutes for optimal contemplation Hours: open year round, dawn to dusk Remember, this is a place of worship. Please be respectful. Finding it: From Route 295 take exit 6 to Plainfield Pike (Route 14) west; go straight for about two miles; Wat Dhamagosnaram is on the left, across from Pezza Farms. What’s nearbyDistances between points are actual distances, without regard to mountains or angry barbarians. Your travel distance will be longer. This article last edited February 28, 2015 © 1999–2019 Quahog.org (with the exception of elements provided by contributors, as noted). |
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