cambodia buddhism

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.

cambodia monks Buddha

Dragon monks praying Buddha

monk pagoda cambodia

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

dragon monk cambodia

Young dragon monk wearing a lace top outfit

 

dragon monk cambodia

Dragon monk posing  with his offerings

 

cambodia monk sampot

Dragon monk dressed with  a sampot in the monastery

 

monk kneeling praying

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 monk robe cambodia

Colorful box containing the robe of a future monk

 

Procession going from the pagoda to the city on foot

 

buddhist monk processing cambod

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

 

buddhist monk processing cambodia

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

 

cambodian monk photography tour

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