FLORAL FRAMES

This rectangle of chrysanthemums decorates an empty frame that held a photograph of a person recently cremated at Wat Athvea in Siem Reap. Now discarded along with other floral trappings, the wreath lies in the scrub close to the towering crematorium. The grounds of Wat Athvea contain two religious institutions: the currently operating Theravada Buddhist wat, which faces east, and the 850-year-old Angkorian temple, Prasat Wat Athvea. The older stone temple was built by the same king who constructed the splendid Angkor Wat. These ancient Hindu temples are dedicated to Vishnu and, consequently, in contrast to the Buddhist wat, are oriented toward the west.

DEATH BECOMES YOU