This frieze is a panel from the famous group of temples at Bantei Seri.
Bantei Seri is 15 miles north-east of Ankor Wat in Cambodia.
    Bantei Seri is acclaimed as among the most beautiful pieces of sculpture
in the world.
    "The lacy setting is superbly executed and the balanced rhythm and harmony
of the scene itself cannot be surpassed in any work of man" - Reginald le May.
    The above piece shows a scene from MahaBharatha.
    Its the one of the last scenes in the Bharatha War.
    Duryodhana lay exhausted and wounded, alone after losing everything.
    The Pandavas wanted to finish the war decisively and came in search of Duryodhana.
    Since Duryodhana was alone and the Pandavas were five, he is given the option of fighting with any one of them.
    Among the five, all the others, except Bhima, were no match for Duryodhana who possessed the strength of ten thousand elephants.
    Bhima was similarly strong.
    Both of them were exponents of warfare with the Gatha aayudham.
    Though exhausted, Duryodhana had better training and skill in fighting.
    So a duel of gatha weapons took place. Gatha is a huge mace which is
very heavy. It was used to crush opponents, break armour, wrech chariots and
kill elephants.

    The Pandavas, Krishna, and his elder brother Balarama were watching.
    Both Duryodhana and Bhima had learned the art of gatha warfare from Balarama.
    It was a dvantha yuddham which was a fight to the finish.
    As the fight proceeded, Bhima got tired and became unwary. But Duryodhana still retained his skill and fought a cautious, careful, and alert fight.
    At one instance, Duryodhana jumped up high above the level of Bhima's head.
    From that vantage position, he aimed and swung his gatha at the head of Bhima in a downward stroke.
    But at that time, Krishna gestured to Bhima to hit Duryodhana on his left thigh,
which was now at level with Bhima's swing.
    The left thigh is Duryodhana's vulnerable part. Duryodhana can only be killed by crushing his left thigh.
    Krishna knew this and gave the cue to Bhima.
    Bhima dealt a death-dealing blow which crushed the left thigh of Duryodana.
    Duryodana fell to the ground, mortally wounded.
    When balarama saw what was happening, he swung his Haalaayudham the plough weapon with fury at Bhima for this frank breach of duel code of honour.
    But Krishna prevented him from harming Bhima.

    You can see in the panel, the scene embodying all the dynamism and feelings fully.

    At the right, the four Pandavas are seated.
    In the centre, Bhima and Duryodhana are fghting.
    Duryodhana is aloft if the air with a swing and an unswerving aim.
    At the left, Balarama is about to hit Bhima with his Haalaayudham.
    He is being held back by Krishna who is depicted wth four arms.
    This is a wonderful piece of sculpture.

    What is more strinking is that THEY have it THERE and we don't have it here with us.

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