Angkor Wat Devata Inventory – Ver. 03-17-2010

 

 

 

Angkor Wat, Cambodia – This article identifies working counts and locations of all devata (sacred female) images in Angkor Wat. We have numerically identified 1,796 devata at the temple, not including those on the high towers.

In her 1926 study, Sappho Marchal cited 1,737 devata, possibly not counting some that are partially completed, worn away, covered by stone blocks (sealed doorways on level A1) or “aerial devata” located on Angkor Wat’s top towers.
 

Angkor Wat's main structure with key devata locations labeled.

DatAsia’s numbering system identifies devata carvings sequentially in five defined structural areas.

A1 – Angkor Wat Top Level (Bakan) + Central Tower

A2 – Angkor Wat Second Level + 2 Libraries

A3 – Angkor Wat Third Level (outside only) + 2 Libraries
 

Angkor Wat West Gopura (entry gate)

A4 – The West Gopura – Entry gate to Angkor Wat

A5 – Angkor Wat South + West Gates (no devata at North Gate)

Our numbering convention identifies the Level; Structure; Inside/Outside Location (relative to the center of the temple); Sequential Devata Number + Additional Details (this can include the feature, photographer, raw photo number, etc.)

e.g. A4-GW-I-009-K
 This means the devata is located in area A4, Gate West, Inside, Devata #009, photo by Kent Davis

All numbering begins at the southwest corner of each structure and goes sequentially counter clockwise (from South to North on the West Gopura).

Devata Inventory at Angkor Wat
 

 

Angkor Wat Devata - West Gopura

A1 – 407
 

 

Central Tower – 64   (#001-062)
 Central Tower Aerial – 16 (NW-NE-SW-SE x 4)
 OUTSIDE – 201   (#001-198)
 INSIDE – 126   (#001-124)

A2 – 647

A2 OUTSIDE – 341   (#001-328)
 A2 INSIDE – 222   (#001-217)

A2 Libraries
 North – 44   (#001-044)
 South – 40   (#001-040)

A3 – 414

OUTSIDE – 241   (#001-241)
 INSIDE- 0

A3 Libraries
 North – 46   (#001-046)
 South – 20   (#001-020)
 

 

Angkor Wat Devata - West Gopura

West Inside Chambers
 Center – 28   (#001-028)
 North & South – 8+8   (#001-016)

Cruciform Gallery
 North – 34  ( #001-034)
 South – 29   (#001-029)

A4 – Gate West – 259

West (OUTSIDE) – 119   (#001-119)
 East (INSIDE) – 124   (#001-122)
 Entry Chamber North – 8   (#001-008)
 Entry Chamber South – 8   (#001-008)

A5 – 69

A5-South Gate – 25   (#001-024)
 A5-East Gate – 40   (#001-040)
 A5-West Library – 4*   (#001-004)

Total: 1,796 unique devata

*These devata are a different style and appear to have been added during the reign of Jayavarman VII or later. There are other devata with questionable styles that may also have been added later.

The A1 exterior towers may also have as many as 16 devata each, which could increase the inventory by 64 additional devata.

NOTE: Original DatAsia numbers were assigned to correspond with the German Apsara Conservation Project database so that data could be compared.

Unfortunately, the GACP database has numerical anomalies due to later additions. For this reason, some numbers have more than one devata (e.g. 100a, 100b). This, therefore, results in areas such as A1 Outside, where the numerical sequence only goes to 198 but covers a population of 201 devata.

Another issue is that the GACP system numbers counterclockwise, even for devata inside levels A1 and A2. This means that they are numbered right to left (…3, 2, 1) instead of left to right (1, 2, 3…), which is less intuitive when viewing.

When the Devata.org database is complete a final, sequentially perfect number will be assigned to each devata portrait. In the meantime, however, we continue to use the legacy system for easier cross referencing.