| Angkor Photography Tours

Dragon Monks of Cambodia

On July 15, 2017 / buddhism, Cambodia, monks

While leading a photography tour with one of my guest in the Cambodian countryside, we unexpectedly stumbled upon a unusual Buddhist ceremony at a local pagoda: many families were there busy preparing offering and several young Cambodian boys with shaved heads were wearing colorful dresses and make-up. One of them was actually crying.

We learned later that this 2-day ceremony was inspired by the Dragon Monk Legend: a long time ago, a dragon (Neak in Khmer language) who took the form of a man was ordained monk by Buddha. While taking a nap, the monk changed back to dragon and the trick was discovered. The legend lived until this day as the ceremony of the dragon is taking place when a Cambodian man wants to become a monk either for few years or longer.

We were lucky to be the only outsiders taken pictures of this ceremony of the 9 monks to be ordained. Future monks had their head and eyebrows shaved and were dressed up with the with a colorful sampot (an ancient long traditional saron) and a lace top along with some jewellery. They also applied lipstick to make themselves more beautiful, something which can be seen in the temples of Angkor done by locals on some Buddha and Devata statues.

At one point of the ceremony, beautiful horses were brought in and monks rode them to take part of a procession going back to the city few miles away. Some women carried colorful boxes containing the robe of the monks that they will be wearing the next day.

When back from the city, a large crowd did a circumambulation (3 times) before entering the pagoda where the monks were been ordained by higher monks.

If you are visiting Siem Reap and want to document this special Buddhist ceremony please get in touch with us.

Dragon monks praying Buddha

Dragon monk in a colorful pagoda

A soon to be ordained monk adjusting his colorful sampot

Khmer family dressing session in pagoda

Dragon monk wearing a pink sampot

Young dragon monk wearing a lace top outfit

Dragon monk posing with his offerings

Dragon monk dressed with a sampot in the monastery

The nine to be ordained monks kneeling and praying

Elderly Cambodian women at the Dragon ceremony

Elderly Cambodian woman in front of a colorful pagoda mural

Colorful box containing the robe of a future monk

Procession going from the pagoda to the city on foot

Dragon monk riding a colorful horse on his way to the city

Dragon monk riding a colorful horse on his way to the city

Monk waiting by the pagoda’s entrance

Young Cambodian kid with colorful paint on his face

Crowd gathered in front of the pagoda for the final ceremony

Cambodian Monks in the Temples of Angkor

On January 4, 2016 / blog

Monks, with their vivid-colored saffron robes, are interesting subjects for photographers as they provide a striking contrast against the sandstone of Angkor temples.

According to history, Buddhism in Cambodia dates back to the 5th century from a king in the Funan Dynasty. However, it was then that during the reign of King Jayavarman VII of the Angkor Empire when a certain type of Buddhism, called Mahayana Buddhism, was established. Then there was another form called the Theravada Buddhism that took over the former one after the death of King Jayavarman VII.

In the present days, about 95% of people in Cambodia practice Buddhism. Buddhist monks are also referred to as “bonzes”. There are two types of monks, the Novice and the Bhikkhu. Novices can be as young as 7 years old while Bhikku should be at least 20 years of age. Converting into a monk is a matter of personal choice but theoretically speaking based on religious rites and beliefs, Cambodian male above 16 years old should at least serve some terms as a monk. Though they are not compelled to serve as a monk for their entire life, others opt to take the vow and serve otherwise. They live in a simple lifestyle and they are normally prohibited from participating in activities outside their religious practices. However, there is a bit of gradual change in their traditional observance due to the fast-changing contemporary lifestyle influences.

At present, there are about 4000 monks in Cambodia, however it is not an exact figure as there are many Cambodian monks living in Thailand. This number was much higher not so long ago as most of Buddhist monks were murdered between 1975 and 1979 by the Pol Pot regime. In 1969, it was estimated that 53,000 monks and 49,000 novice monks were serving in more than 3,000 temples.

Monks can be spotted in temples and pagodas by the altars praying, some are walking thru the gates and corridors of Angkor Wat or in the maze of Bayon temple either alone or in groups, while others are interacting with ordinary people and tourists. Taking good pictures of monks in these conditions could however be challenging as good lighting and composition is often proved to be difficult.

We had an unexpected opportunity on the 19th and 20th of December 2015, to witness a ceremony with 4100 monks in the temples of Angkor. After the offering ceremony which took place at the Terrace of the Elephants, we met and chatted with some monks and were able to learn about their religious beliefs and observances.
Taking photos of monks from afar in their saffron robes is already enchanting. Being closer made it more a delightful encounter as one can see more intricate details like the position of their hands inside the robe, the elements of the robe, and the silver alms bowl inside the monk bag.