Victory Gate (One of the eastern gates of Angkor Thom)

"Victory Gate, the 2nd most visited and interesting gate of an ancient of Angkor Thom, which legend has it that this gate was important as during the reign of the King he would send his army into battle through this major gate when defending the Kingdom, especially into battle against Champa, the Khmer empire's mighty enemy to the east." 

Temple Info

Victory Gate is one of the 5 gates which guard the ancient city of Angkor Thom and nowadays become the 2nd most visited and interesting gate of Angkor Thom. It was built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th Century, serving as 1 of the 5 holy Buddhist gateways to Angkor Thom. Legend has it that this gate was important as during the reign of the King he would send his army into battle through this major gate when defending the Kingdom.

This Victory Gate is at the eastern wall of Angkor Thom is in line with the Royal Palace and to the Elephant Terrace and the Royal Square in front of it. They are within a 1.5 km distance from the Victory Gate.

Most interesting image of the Vedic god Indra on Airavata (or called Abhra-Matanga, meaning "elephant of the clouds") of the Victory gate of Angkor Thom.

Royal Palace and Victory Gate form the "secular axis" of Angkor Thom. All other gateways to Angkor Thom are located at the cardinal points and in line to the state temple in the very center of the city, Bayon. They form the symmetrical axes of the sacred layout of Angkor Thom. Apart from those cardinal points, there is only one more entrance to the city, and this is the Victory Gate, leading to a palace and another sacred center within it, the Phimeanakas, which seems to have been the focal point of the "first Angkor" already three centuries earlier than Angkor Thom.

According to the assumption, the Victory Gate was the gate that King Jayavarman VII sent his army into battle against Champa, the Khmer empire's mighty enemy to the east. Parades on the "Victory Avenue" could have been launched at the Royal Square or ended there. The very same gate may have been the place where the king welcomed his returning victorious warriors when they entered the capital.

Most tourists on sightseeing trips in Angkor will see the Victory Gate, as the Small Circuit road from the "face-tower temple" Bayon to the "jungle temple" Ta Prohm leaves Angkor Thom to at this gate, not at the East Gate. 

The visitors can have a small stop for shooting the photos with the face-tower temple and the giant balustrade. The giant balustrade is still not as well-preserved as at the South Gate. Many bodies and most heads are missing. The Indra sculptures, sitting on the elephant heads with three trunks in the four inward angles of the outer wall, are in a better condition than at most other Angkor Thom city gates. Even Indra's magic thunderbolt called Vajra is still visible.

Temple Facts

Name: Victory Gate (One of the eastern gates of Angkor Thom)

Date: late 12th Century
Builder: King Jayavarman VII
Cultures: Khmer Empire

Location: On small circuit road after leaving from the Elephant terrace about 1.5 km and it is about 500 meters north of the east gate.


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