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The devaraja cult had developed further to crystallize around the apotheosis of dead kings and their worship. The pyramid temple in which the linga resided became the mausoleum of the king who built it. This meant that in each succeeding reign the purohita had to consecrate a new devaraja for which a new pyramid temple to be created- a religious necessity that underlines the proliferation of pyramid temples in Angkor. The Hindu or Buddhist cosmology of Mount Meru and the concentric circles of continents and oceans informed the physical layout of capitals. Similar considerations determined the number of queens, ministers and provincial administrators 'In Cambodia, the architectural activities started earlier than the 4th or 5th Christian era. Of, course there have been constructions earlier than this period but they vanished without leaving any trace since they were believed to have been made of perishable materials'. This statement clearly envisages that there was a Pandukshila (pyramid) where Janmabhishek of Tirthankaras used to take place. But when Ganga Dynasty Shailendra kings left Java, they settled in Cambodia and started establishing Five Meru and 52 towered temple ( a replica of borobudur Nandishwar dveepa temple) along with other monuments.
'For construction of temples, the Cambodians selected elevated places with commanding sites to, keep the installation free from the dangers of floods and stagnation of rain water. Almost all the Cambodian kings right from the remote past have traditionally suffixed their names with "varman”. Even Kaundinya, the second, who ruled Funan about this period ( 4th century AD) took the name Jayaverman'[25] 'In Mission inscripion of Champa [26] dated in the saka era 571, a reference has been made to the foundation of Bhavapura as the capital of Kambuja. A Brahman named Kaundinya is mentioned to have planted his spear at the place. The spear was given to him by Asvathama, the son of Drona. Kaundinya married the Naga princess Soma and founded a dynasty in which later Bhavavarman became the famous king who founded Bhavapura after his name.'
According to Baksei Cameron inscription [26A) the Kambuja dynasty originated from the union of Kambu Svayambhuva and a nymph named Mara. The Kambu Svayambhuva was an Indian hermit.' It may be mentioned here that one gandhara named Swayambhu was the principle disciple of Lord Parsvanath.
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