War Over the World's Largest Hindu Shrine

Combodian authorities fear that the move would undermine the value of its age-old temple, which is the main tourist attraction in the largely Buddhist nation. The temple, featured on its national flag, attracts around two million visitors annually and this points to the fact as to how significant is the Hindu shrine to the country in terms of revenue and its culture.

"Angkor Wat is Angkor Wat – it is unique. They (India) are raising this to be confrontational and it is provocative of the World Heritage principle. We won't let anyone confuse the world that there are two Angkor Wats," Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan.

He further said that the government officials would reach out to the Indian government to resolve the matter."[The two nations] have good relations and good cooperation, so we are looking for that to solve this issue. The tourists who come to visit Angkor Wat are not seeing it simply as a stone building. They come here to see the culture and to learn," he said.