Cambodia 1997, Putting the Indo in Indo China with a Khmer Temple to Shiva

In the 1990s, Cambodia had their King back, see https://the-philatelist.com/2018/04/11/968-cambodia-the-human-rights-flame-burns-bright-at-least-on-the-stamp/   , and was ready to again lay claim to the old Khmer culture that went back 1100 years and built in stone. Interestingly this was the period that the Khmer Empire converted to Hinduism, that did not stick in the Buddhist country. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

The 1000+ year old temples featured on the six stamps of this issue survived as they were of stone but had long been swallowed by the jungle until uncovered by French colonial era adventurers. That they are from a long gone empire is not important, that they honor God in a different way than modern Cambodians is not important, that they were rediscovered by the French is not important. The important thing is they show a history of people achieving art and engineering, a civilized people. As with this ancient stone complex remembered by Panama that I wrote up, see https://the-philatelist.com/2020/07/09/panama-1967-remembering-palenque-the-mayan-city-state-that-rose-out-of-the-jungle-under-pakal-the-great-and-his-mother-lady-beastie-only-for-the-jungle-to-reclaim/   , the stone construction was so important.

Todays stamp is A305, a 1500 Reil stamp issued by the Kingdom of Cambodia on April 13th, 1997. It was a 6 stamp issue in various denominations that came out in two groups of three and showed views of the Khmer Empire era stone temples. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 35 cents cancelled to order.

Bantea Srei Temple was dedicated in 969AD to the Hindu God Shiva. It was built at the time of the Khmer Hindu Empire at the directions of courtiers of King Rajendravaman II. It was built of red sandstone that it as amenable as wood to elaborate carving. It is slightly removed from the more famous Angkor Wat complex. At first it dedicated to both Vishnu and Shiva but 200 years later rededicated to just Shiva. The Temple returned to the jungle around 1400 AD. This was about the time the Khmer Empire converted to Buddhism and 100 years before it fell. The modern Cambodian name means “The Citadel of Women” relating to some of the stone murals.

Andre’ Malraux was an important man in early 20th century art and literary circles in Paris. He had explained Cubism style painting in a book that widened it’s audience. He was a great fan of T. H. Lawrence and longed to have similar adventures in the East. The discovery of Angkor Wat had endowed the then French Protectorate of Cambodia with exotic mystery. Malraux travelled there and rediscovered the Bantea Srei Temple. His travels in the East were fodder for several well received French books but all was not well. Back in Paris, he was arrested and convicted of looting some original statues from the complex he rediscovered. He argued to no avail that since the statues ended up in Paris museums it was hardly looting. France eventually forgave Andre’ Malraux, much later in life French President de Gaulle named him French Minister of Culture.

The rediscovery has inevitably lead to the complex becoming a tourist attraction. The Cambodians have tried to stem relics disappearing by replacing them with modern copies. They also accepted Swiss aid to protect the site from being reclaimed again by the jungle by installing a drainage system.

Well my drink is empty. Come again on Monday when there will be another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.