(Photos by Kumari Kunti Sherreitt.)

Warm breezes blow through the sleepy halls of the Angkor Wat bringing with them the nostalgia of a powerful kingdom. The 800-year-old temple dedicated to Vishnu was once known as “Varah Vishnu-lok” (meaning “holy Vishnu location” in Sanskrit). The towering steeples meld into palm tree grooves, as empty altars and beheaded statues are all that remain of the once prosperous culture, its true glory is preserved only in the intricately carved depictions of the wondrous feats of the ancient Vedic culture and its architecture designed to mimic that of the mythical Mount Meru.

Angkor Wat is a must do pilgrimage for any aspiring Vaishnava, this life. Angkor is the pride of Cambodia, and as a Vaishnava this once city was centered on the temple; where inhabitants lived within the complex and all roads led to the temple, it is easy to feel the roots our Vedic tradition in a place, again, further than India. Angkor’s magic lies in its profound spirituality that has maintanted throughout the centuries. The unique Khemer (what Cambodian people are called) mixed with South Indian styled architecture; along with its deep-rooted Hindu culture makes the site a diamond among jewels.

My husband, Visvambar (from Radhadesh, Belgium), his friend Balaram (from Alachua, Florida) and myself (from Hawaii) made the trek to the Kingdom of Cambodia last month – with Angkor Wat’s grandeur set on our mind; but what we experienced far exceeded any of our expectations.