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Cambodia’s Angkor Wat
temple in Siem Reap topped the list of TripAdvisor 2015 Travellers' Choice awards on June 2.
However, the Cambodian government is not happy that a 'near replica' of the Angkor Wat temple is under construction in India. A private trust indicated in 2012 that it intended to build a replica of Cambodia's ancient temple in Bihar province, India. The outraged Cambodian government prompted India to force the architects to modify the design. It is currently under construction.
The replicated temple aims to be bigger than Cambodia's Angkor Wat - and take the title as the world's largest religious structure. It will be 120 metres tall, with space inside for 20,000 visitors. The 'near replica' is said to resemble 60-65% of the original temple site, which the Cambodian government maintains is 'not acceptable.'
The Cambodian government is taking up the matter with India's Ministry of External Affairs, and India's ambassador to Cambodia is looking into Cambodia's concerns.
UNESCO listed the Angkor Archaeological Park as a World Heritage site in 1992. It is large, extending across 400 square kilometres, and was the home of an ancient civilisation of about 100,000 inhabitants in more than 100 historic settlements, complete with Khmer art and sculptures. Hence, its significance is cultural, religious, archaeological, architectural, and artistic.
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