Angkor Wat — Battle of Kurukshetra Bas-Relief (c. 1113–1150)
Monumental sandstone bas-relief on the south section of the west gallery (first enclosure) at Angkor Wat, depicting the Battle of Kurukshetra from the Mahabharata. Approximately 50 m long. Carved under the reign of Suryavarman II (r. 1113–1150), the work shows the two armies of the Kauravas and Pandavas in battle, with identifying inscriptions naming the protagonists. In situ, UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Critical Reception History
1970 · Southeast Asian art historians; Khmer archaeology scholars
The Angkor Wat bas-relief programme, including the Kurukshetra panel, is recognised as the most ambitious narrative relief sculpture programme in Southeast Asian art history. The site's UNESCO World Heritage status (1992) consolidated its canonical status.