A new LiDAR survey at the Khmer capital of Koh Ker in Cambodia has identified a series of massive Banyan-Leaf patterned processional plazas. These architectural features, previously hidden under dense jungle canopy, are arranged in a layout that mimics the intricate veins of a sacred leaf. They were likely the staging grounds for 10th-century "Monsoon-Greeting" festivals, where thousands gathered to perform synchronized dances to welcome the arrival of the life-giving rains following the dry season.
The scale of these plazas suggests that the Angkorian state placed immense cultural value on communal harvest traditions. By mapping these routes, archaeologists can now visualize the precise flow of ancient parades, which moved from the central temple complexes to the surrounding massive reservoirs, creating a symbolic circuit that reinforced the king's role as the divine provider of water and agricultural prosperity for the Khmer people.