Undoubtedly, they, the wise men & women of yore, did create a magnet for people of the future times to behold and learn from that creation. Vagaries of weather, marauding enemies of humanity and disease & shortages took their toll, undoubtedly. But, all isn’t lost, as yet. People of all nationalities, faiths & religions throng Angkor everyday, enduring weather and travel-distances. It is no small matter that they leave their homes for weeks on end and come and behold these ruins. This in’t without a reason.
There is great amount of learning the space Angkor has to offer. It offers the film makers a chance to recreate what must have
happened a thousand years ago. Historians learn here a good slice of happenings; who they were, where they came fro
m, what all did they do & how. Dendrochronologists learn here how has the weather God conducted His reign in this entire region; from Laos & Vietnam to Thailand and Malaysia over the past thousand years. Religious teachers come and offer their prayers here unto Him for His presence is palpable. Therefore, all isn’t lost, as yet.
The people who earn their living working around Angkor come there from early morning till late at night – small girls & boys selling trinkets &
books & apparels ans picture post cards to earn their school fees. And they have learned worldly ways, rather fast, by constant interaction with people from all the 210 odd countries that inhabit the mother earth. They have become confident and are living lessons in smart ways of negotiations, marketing & selling – anything; lessons not given at any ivy League. In the Town of Siem Reap, there are stone carvers who are earning a decent living sculpting, right in the footsteps of their long long forefathers. The Tuk Tuk drivers, my cane juice maid, the Guide Tanny, painters, bus drivers ; name it and they are there learning and earning. Many of us contaminating & even polluting the spaces there. All this and much more because someone nearly a thousand years ago had created these marvels for us and our future generations to earn & learn from. Therefore, all isn’t lost yet.
All in all, everyone gets something at Angkor. Everyone impro
ving his or her living standard by earning around Angkor. Wasn’t that one of the aims to create a spot where He lives? And Gives to everyone. Everyone, without any discrimination. And look, He himself is in quite a shape. He needs some help, at least clean up those Idols of his, clean up the places around Him. Remove those trees strangulating His spaces. Just imagine, we could have Lara Croft ride her Land Rover through the jungles with snakes dropping from the top and the movie maker make his millions. But nobody coming forwards to take up responsibility to help Him live better.
We are well over 7 billion souls on the earth. Thousands of them are true blue billionaires. If everyone comes up with just one dollar contribution, not only the life of the Gods shall become more breathable,the entire environment around Angkor will be improved. If the restoration effort is made that much more sincere, high tech and precise, is it small wonder that upon a few years of hard work, we might be able to recreate the magnificence Angkor was in 1150 AD.
I believe, it is possible. It is possible because after all if such a feat is accomplished, our future generations will be able to learn something from Angkor, that we could not. We shall be leaving a more benign legacy than those men nearly a thousand years ago, did.