The enfant terrible about whom I mentioned in my last article is undoubtedly Pol Pot. His regime, called Khmer Rouge, was a despotism and he was a merciless killer. His autocratic rule in the late 1970s made the country bereft of intellectuals. His failed political ideologies made him transform the country into the killer fields of Cambodia. I will capture his regime later. Let us catch a glimpse of the country’s festival, culture and religion now.
The Cambodian New Year is a three-day festivity which marks the end of harvest according to the Khmer lunar calendar. It generally occurs on April 13, 14 and 15 of every year. Probably it is just like our Makara Sankranti. The Cambodians clean their houses and decorate them with flowers. Places of worship are also made tidy and offerings are made to Buddha and monks in the religious institutions. People wear new clothes and are in a joyous mood.
The first day of the three-day festival is called Moha Sanghran, the second day is called Vira kharmabor and the third is called Virak leng sak. It is believed that during this time the spirits of the previous years explain their duties to the spirits of the New Year. The offerings are presented in a container made from parts of banana leaves. Fruits, flowers tobacco and incense sticks are some of the offerings. Candles are lighted to usher in peace and prosperity.
Traditional games are played during this time. Bors-ang-kung is a painful game played by men and women with dark hard nuts found in the fruit of Angn kun tree. Four piles of nuts are set in a square around a king. Both men and women throw the fruit at the opposite team’s pile. A man who finds a woman attractive throws the fruit pile belonging to the woman and vice versa. Once the outer plies are knocked over, the participants focus on hitting the king. The winner is allowed to hit at his opponent’s knees. What a prize, indeed.
During the water festival, called Bonom Tukilk, the country comes alive with fireworks which are on grand display in the river. A flotilla of the brightly-lit boats cruising on the river is a grand spectacle. The glowing boats are nestled in the cleavage between moonlit sky and turquoise blue waters.
The enfant terrible about whom I mentioned in my last article is undoubtedly Pol Pot. His regime, called Khmer Rouge, was a despotism and he was a merciless killer. His autocratic rule in the late 1970s made the country bereft of intellectuals. His failed political ideologies made him transform the country into the killer fields of Cambodia. I will capture his regime later. Let us catch a glimpse of the country’s festival, culture and religion now.
The first day of the three-day festival is called Moha Sanghran, the second day is called Vira kharmabor and the third is called Virak leng sak. It is believed that during this time the spirits of the previous years explain their duties to the spirits of the New Year. The offerings are presented in a container made from parts of banana leaves. Fruits, flowers tobacco and incense sticks are some of the offerings. Candles are lighted to usher in peace and prosperity.
Traditional games are played during this time. Bors-ang-kung is a painful game played by men and women with dark hard nuts found in the fruit of Angn kun tree. Four piles of nuts are set in a square around a king. Both men and women throw the fruit at the opposite team’s pile. A man who finds a woman attractive throws the fruit pile belonging to the woman and vice versa. Once the outer plies are knocked over, the participants focus on hitting the king. The winner is allowed to hit at his opponent’s knees. What a prize, indeed.
