A multi-headed asura (demon) commander holds the head of the naga seprent Vasuki during the Churning of the Sea of Milk, carved in bas-relief on the East gallery of Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Here, he encourages the demons who are in a tug of war with the gods, each pulling on one end of a giant snake wrapped around Mount Mandara to churn the Sea of Milk and release amrita, the elixir of immortality. The world's largest religious monument and an architectural masterpiece, Angkor Wat is the apogee of classical Khmer style. Built between 1113 and 1150 by King Suryavarman II, it was both city and temple, the capital of the Empire and the State Temple dedicated to the god Vishnu. Surrounded by a broad moat, it covers 200 hectares (1.5 km by 1.3 km) and is a microcosm of the Hindu universe.