It seems sensible starting with the first temple I visited in Cambodia. Little did I know then that I would be living next to it when I found my first accommodation here in Phnom Penh.
Wat Phnom is the Mother of all temples in Phnom Penh. Undoubtedly, if you find yourself in Phnom Penh you will find yourself here. It is an oasis of calm during the day (night time I will leave to your imagination!) offering the perfect place to shelter from the sweltering heat. Surrounded by trees, plenty of shade and people selling cold drinks it’s the perfect stop even if you aren’t a temple lover.
A far more important reason for starting with Wat Phnom though is its sacred place in the building blocks of modern day Phnom Penh. Legend has it that in 1372, an elderly lady lived near the river and her name was Penh. On a rainy day she went down to the water to bathe and saw a floating Koki tree in the water. After retrieving it she found four Buddha statues and one of Vishnu (a Hindu God) inside a hole in the tree. Penh got the locals to build an artificial hill and build a wooden temple on the top to keep the statues in. The monks blessed the statues and called the temple “Wat Phnom” which has retained its name to the modern day. Fun fact; the hill has a height of 46 meters and is the tallest hill in Phnom Penh!
In 1396 There was some very heavy flooding in the area. When the floods receded, King Ponhea Yat moved into the new palace that had been built in the area. The area at that time was called Chaktomuk and this began the Chaktomuk period of the Kingdom of Kampuchea (modern day Cambodia) in 1431. On his death, a large stupa was built at the top of Wat Phnom for him and his ashes, which still remains to this day.
The Vihara itself has ben rebuilt four times since, the latest in 1926. It still plays a very significant part of religious life in Phnom Penh, people worshiping there everyday and I can vouch for the monks still chanting early in the morning!
©JKBeeson
