Dancing Apsara Sculpture $2,500
In 2011, as conservation was concluding at the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery at Angkor Wat, WMF workers discovered more than a dozen fragments from sculptures of dancing apsaras—female spirits in Hindu and Buddhist mythology--that once were on the roof, creating a stunning silhouette high above this sacred space. We are returning these fragments to the roof in concert with several newly carved sculptures, providing visitors with a sense of the original appearance of the temple. Help us complete this project by adopting a dancing apsara sculpture for $2,500
Stone Shrine $10,000
Ringing five levels of terraces at the base of a pyramid, the stone shrines of Phnom Bakheng are defining elements of Angkor’s oldest temple. Built between the late ninth and early tenth centuries, Phnom Bakheng is the earliest mountain-style temple at Angkor, renowned today for the panoramic view it provides of Angkor Wat, often enjoyed at sunset by visitors. By adopting a stone shrine, you will enable the restoration of a one thousand-year-old structure, and help return one of Phnom Bakheng’s key features to its original and timeless beauty.
Garuda $25,000
One of Angkor’s most evocative temples, Preah Khan is surrounded by a monumental enclosure wall, displaying 72 large garudas carved out of sandstone. The symbolic protectors of the temple, the garudas’ power is legendary, but they have struggled to withstand the formidable effects of both time and nature. For two decades, adventurous and generous donors have been making it possible for us to gradually return the garudas to their original glory.