CAMBODIA POST on 12 December 2017 issued a First Day Cover souvenir sheet featuring a bas-relief from Angkor Wat, a temple complex in Cambodia. The classical Khmer architecture in these stamps depicts Apsaras which are an important motif in the stone bas-reliefs of the Angkorian temples in Cambodia (8th–13th centuries AD).
English translations of the word "Apsara" include "nymph," "celestial nymph," and "celestial maiden".
While women and goddesses appear as icons in many ancient and modern societies, the Khmers gave sanctified women dominance over their state temples more consistently and more visibly than any other group.
In harmony with the Indian association of dance with apsaras, Khmer female figures that are dancing or are poised to dance are considered apsaras; female figures, depicted individually or in groups, who are standing still and facing forward in the manner of temple guardians or custodians are called devatas.
No comments:
Post a Comment