The Churning of the Sea of Milk, an important bas-relief on the east gallery wall of Angkor Wat. Gods and demons, each pulling on one end of a giant snake wrapped around Mount Mandara, churn the Sea of Milk and release amrita, the elixir of immortality. Vishnu commands the operation in the centre. 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.