November
27
/ 2017
It takes much willpower to resist the temptation of the asparas; beautiful dancing women in the court of Indra, king of the gods, in the celestial palace in Hindu mythology. They are the heavenly charmers who fascinated heroes and allured sages from their devotions. They tempt with “rewards” in heaven given to heroes who fall in battle. The apsaras have the power to change their forms and give good luck to whom they favor. When visiting the religious complex of Angkor Wat, Cambodia, one will inevitably notice these dancing women depicted on the temple walls and reliefs. These same dancers were also an important motif in the art of Champa (c. 192–1832 CE), medieval Angkor's neighbor to the east along
