Devata Goddess Temples
The Khmer civilization that grew to unify most of Southeast Asia between the 8th-14th centuries respected women as seen in their devata goddess temples.
The Khmer leaders implemented systems of government, religion, education, agriculture and architecture that still color life in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam today. Exactly what roles women played in establishing these systems is still largely unknown, but new research indicates that women were politically, socially, spiritually and economically empowered and that they were important contributors to shaping Khmer society.
Today, we still see their temples filled with images of sacred women -termed devata, apsara or Khmer goddesses - who embody the feminine forces of the universe. While women and goddesses appear as icons in many ancient and modern societies, the Khmers gave sanctified women dominance over their state temples more consistently and more visibly than any other group. #apsara #APSARA