The mountain is home of the gods in both Hindu and
Buddhist cosmology. Mount Meru rises up from a central
continent, and is surrounded by concentric rings of mountains
and oceans. The Khmer temple recreates this cosmos
in miniature. The central tower, often flanked by subsidiary
ones, stood for the five peaks of the Mount, while walls
and a surrounding moat symbolised the encircling mountains
and waters. The temple complex was enclosed
within a stone wall, often bordered by a further moat