Apsara

In line with Hindu mythology, Apsaras are beautiful female creatures that visit Earth from heaven to entertain both gods and kings with their enchanting dance. Legend says the beautiful beings were born from the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, also referred to as Samudra manthan in Hindi or Ko Samut Teuk Dos in Khmer. The story is depicted on a 49-metre bas-relief, carved on the walls of  Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Believed to be the wives of Gandharvas — servants at the palace of Indra, the King of Gods — the nymphs protected the King of Gods by seducing mortals who were seen as threats with their beauty. Their powers were incredible. Mortals and divinities could not resist the celestial dancers’ charm.

A belief in the female spirit of the clouds and water was so entrenched in Khmer culture that King Jayavarman VII, who was behind the Ta Prohm and Bayon temples, is believed to have had more than 3,000 Apsara dancers in his court.