The Bayon Faces and the Mahayana Shift Under Jayavarman VII

The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History · Jun 8, 2026 · 7m · transcript

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the enigmatic smiling faces of the Bayon temple at Angkor Thom, built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. They discuss the shift from Hindu devaraja to Mahayana Buddhist bodhisattva kingship, the possible identity of the faces as Avalokiteshvara or Jayavarman himself, and the political and religious motivations behind the change. The conversation also touches on the temple's bas-reliefs depicting daily life and battles, including a rare scene of Khmer and Cham naval combat, and the controversial theory that Jayavarman VII may have usurped…