Elephant Gate

Angkor Wat


This gate, which has no stairway, was used by the king and others for mounting and dismounting elephants directly from the gallery. North of the gate is a Khmer inscription recording the erection of a nearby stupa in the 18th century.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Angkor Wat attractions

1. Vishnu Conquers the Demons

0.03 MILES

The northern section of the east gallery shows a furious and desperate encounter between Vishnu, riding on a garuda, and innumerable devils. Needless to…

2. Churning of the Ocean of Milk

0.03 MILES

The southern section of the east gallery is decorated by the most famous of the bas-relief scenes at Angkor Wat, the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. This…

3. Heaven & Hell

0.06 MILES

The punishments and rewards of the 37 heavens and 32 hells are depicted in the eastern half of the south gallery. On the left, the upper and middle tiers…

4. Krishna & the Demon King

0.06 MILES

The eastern section of the north gallery shows Vishnu incarnated as Krishna riding a garuda. He confronts a burning walled city, the residence of Bana,…

5. Angkor Wat

0.07 MILES

The traveller's first glimpse of Angkor Wat, the ultimate expression of Khmer genius, is matched by only a few select spots on earth. Built by Suryavarman…

6. Army of Suryavarman II

0.11 MILES

The remarkable western section of the south gallery depicts a triumphal battle march of Suryavarman II’s army. In the southwestern corner about 2m from…

7. Battle of the Gods & the Demons

0.12 MILES

The western section of the north gallery depicts the battle between the 21 gods of the Brahmanic pantheon and various demons. The gods are featured with…

8. Battle of Lanka

0.14 MILES

The northern half of the west gallery shows scenes from the Ramayana. In the Battle of Lanka, Rama (on the shoulders of Hanuman), along with his army of…