Phnom Penh - Cambodia’s government is appealing to India to intervene and block plans to build a large-scale “copy” of the Angkor Wat temple for paying tourists.
In a letter to India, Cambodian officials suggested the historic diplomatic ties between the two countries would be disrupted if the project went ahead.
Built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat is the largest religious temple in the world. It is dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu.
Cambodia’s government wrote: “The Royal Government of Cambodia considers this copy of Angkor Wat seriously violates (its) world heritage, which is of exceptional value to humanity.
“We strongly request that India’s Ministry of External Affairs… reconsiders the planned construction of the Angkor Wat replica to preserve historic relations between the two countries.”
Angkor Wat – a Unesco World Heritage Site visited by millions of people every year – is a symbol even featured on the national flag.
The Mahavir Mandir Trust in Bihar, India, said it was planning to build the world’s largest religious temple, but denied it would be a replica of Angkor Wat.
Daily Mail