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Travel to Khmer Cambodia: Making Merit during Khmer New Year
http://www.hotsia.com > Travel to Khmer Cambodia > Making Merit during Khmer New Year mr.hotsia visits Phnom Penh, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Kratie, and other provinces of Cambodia. There is no water splashing or powder playing during Khmer New Year here, unlike in Thailand and Luang Prabang, where I celebrated last year. Khmer New Year here is called the Khmer New Year Festival, a long public holiday for Khmer people. Residents in Phnom Penh return home, travel, and make merit at temples in the morning.
Since I have been in Phnom Penh, I have seen young people, elderly, and children dressed in white, carrying food containers on motorcycles to make merit at temples. Many people visit Wat Phnom, and other temples as well. After making merit, there are traditional games at Wat Phnom. I did not see such activities at other temples except those in Phnom Penh. I traveled to Kratie province in northern Cambodia to make merit at a temple in the early morning. The countryside of Cambodia is even more interesting with people dressed in white, both young and old, making merit at temples.
I went to see the Mekong River dolphins starting at 7:00 AM. After that, I visited a temple on a mountain and saw Khmer people of all ages dressed in white, carrying food containers to make merit. The temple I visited is located on a mountain and requires climbing several hundred steps. At the temple, there is a sand mound building tradition where sand is brought into the temple to make merit and offer food to monks at midday. The ceremony begins with paying respect to Buddha and building the sand mound, followed by offering food to monks and receiving blessings. People then offer cooked rice and arrange food trays before walking to pay respect to a Burmese-style Buddha statue at the mountain's peak.
There was a person who seemed to give some advice or guidance there. I am not sure if it was Khmer astrology or fortune-telling. I saw people making merit and then going to this person to listen to something. Water splashing during Khmer New Year exists only near the Thai border, but in the capital and provinces, there is no water splashing. The tradition is mainly about making merit at temples, paying respect to Buddha, offering alms, and receiving blessings. It is a serious Khmer New Year holiday with long breaks for tourism and temple visits. I am not sure when the water splashing tradition started.
In the stone carvings at Angkor Wat, I also saw images of floating krathongs, so the tradition of floating krathongs has existed for thousands of years. However, the water splashing tradition like in Thailand or Myanmar, I do not know when it began. mr.hotsia April 2012 climbing the temple to make merit during Khmer New Year in Kratie province. Video clips of building sand mounds, offering alms, making merit during Khmer New Year. GPS coordinates 11 34 31.452 N, 104 55 24.3 E. Traditional game "Snake Eating Its Tail" at Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh after making merit during Khmer New Year.
12 33 47.441 N, 106 1 10.332 E at a temple in Kratie province making merit during Khmer New Year. 12 33 46.913 N, 106 1 8.52 E offering food to monks before arranging food trays. The temple has separate monk quarters for making merit. 12 33 47.873 N, 106 1 8.82 E 12 33 47.735 N, 106 1 10.5 E building sand mounds making merit during Khmer New Year. 12 33 45.108 N, 106 1 10.812 E Khmer young couples riding motorcycles to the temple, smiling at visiting tourists. A monk with a red face at Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh. They also like to make merit with money. I really like their style of dress.
Traditional games after making merit on the way up to the temple in Kratie, northern Cambodia. Khmer women come to make merit at the temple. Khmer young couples hold hands to make merit during Khmer New Year without water splashing. Traditional attire of Khmer youth when making merit. The "Snake Eating Its Tail" game at Wat Phnom on the afternoon of Khmer New Year. 12 33 45.611 N, 106 1 9.852 E 12 33 44.447 N, 106 1 13.962 E 12 33 47.249 N, 106 1 10.392 E 12 33 47.621 N, 106 1 10.266 E 12 33 47.729 N, 106 1 9.516 E Khmer young people making merit. 12 33 47.813 N, 106 1 8.46 E
12 33 47.981 N, 106 1 8.652 E 12 33 47.795 N, 106 1 10.422 E Khmer women smile at visiting tourists. Waking up to buy market goods before making merit in Phnom Penh. mr.hotsia climbs the temple, holding hands to make merit without water splashing. Travel information for Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Traveling from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh.