Garden along Sangker River in Battambang Town
Khmer New Year Day was always celebrated in the mid-April
every year. Certainly, this New Year season in Cambodia was already done within
three days – April 13-15 2012. Importantly, the main purpose of Khmer New Year
is not only to welcome the new princess of naga or dragon, but also the
happiest time of Khmer people to meet all relatives in hometown and to respect
parents by kneeing in front of them, saying sorry for all mistakes, and giving
gifts to them both. Populating over 1 million people, all Khmer citizens in
Battambang were also well-prepared to enjoy celebrating Khmer New Year taken
food and drink to the pagodas and prayed for happiness ever after. First, they
cleaned their house with smart decoration, went to market to buy raw materials
like meat and vegetable for cooking, and packaged the food and dessert with
fresh flower to grant the monk in the pagodas. Driving a car as well as motor,
each family went to pagodas near or far as they preferred. Not far from
Battambang Town, Wat Balat was the one of the oldest pagoda built since the
early 1900s by the fund of a high-ranking person in the province, Balat. The
sculpture of the pagoda was so good with the talent of Khmer artists in
Battambang. From young to old, this pagoda has been being one of the best
memories with family in life enjoying solidarity lunch, taking family
photograph, and reading the meaningful Buddha words on the wall of the wooden building
inside the pagoda. Many other ancient pagodas with good architecture in
Battambang were Wat Keo, Wat Piphitearam, Wat Kampheng, Wat Ek Phnom, Wat Ta
Mim, Wat Tuol Ta Ek, Wat Kandal, Wat Sangker, Wat Kor, Wat Ratanak, Wat Prey
Toch, Wat Baset, Wat Sneung, etc. It
seemed people were out of city during this 3 days being in different natural
resorts in Battambang, especially resorts along national road 57A such as Phnom
Sampov, Phnom Banan, Sek Sork Rapids, Pech Chinda Rapids, Chamlorng Kuoy
Rapids, Kvak Rapids, Sneung Temple, and so on. New garden along Sangker River
was so beautiful with green grass, palm tree, and other big trees. This Khmer
New Year was so happy visiting hometown, Phnom Sampov, and parents’ orchards in
Rattanak Mondul. Happy! Happy! Happy
everyone!
By: POK Panhavuth
Ek Phnom Temple
Garden on the Other Side of Sangker River
Buddha in Wat Ek Phnom
Phnom Sampov in Battambang
View from the Top of Phnom Sampov
(All Photos Copy Right to POK Panhavuth)
