One deva seems wounded. On closer examination, one realizes that the hole in the forehead was not caused in mythological time, but by a real bullet, sustained during the decades when this complex was sucked into the Vietnam conflict and became an amphitheatre of war. Today, however, this impressive gateway to Angkor Thom exudes serenity.

Welcome to Cambodia – a land of startling contrasts, wherescenes of war and peace have interplayed for centuries. Here you can see the apogee of the ancient Khmer civilization that created awe-inspiring architecture. But you also see grim reminders of the savagery the Khmer Rouge inflicted on the people till they were ousted in 1998.