APAD 085: Resting place
Phnom Oudong (Oudong Hill) and the giant stupas outlined against the blue sky, as seen from the national road.
Phnom Oudong (Oudong Hill), faintly outlined against the blue sky, as seen from the national road.
Phnom Oudong is the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia in the 7th century and is the final resting place of her former Kings. The main shrine there contains three pieces of bones that is said to belong to the Lord Buddha.
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APAD 084: Signs of mourning
Yesterday, on the last day of the King-Father Norodom Sihanouk’s funeral, the whole capital of Phnom Penh stopped as the Cambodians paid their last respects to the King-Father. Nearly everyone was wearing black and white.
My husband and I didn’t dare venture to the riverside – where the Royal Palace and the Royal Cremation Pavillion are – since the day one of the funeral ceremony. While it is closed to the general public, there was a crowd of mourners there, day in and day out. Instead we drove outside the city last Saturday, to Oudong which was the ancient capital of Cambodia.
Along the way, we saw flags in half-mast lined up the roads. Some houses put up a small altar with a picture of the King-Father and candles and incense sticks in their yards. The local wats (temples), on the other hand, have set up a more elaborate altar open to anyone who wants to pray and pay their respects to the King-Father.
Half-mast flags and a roadside altar just outside a wat.
Here’s another altar outside a wat. Some people who could not travel to the city are encouraged to visit local wats such as above and below to offer their prayers for the King-Father.
Another altar, closer view.
The picture below shows a “ghost flag” flying over Wat Chey Oudom. The flag is in the shape of an “x-rayed body” and is usually displayed at the wats, or the house of the deceased, where a funeral ceremony is being held. For non-Buddhists, it’s like an RIP banner of sorts. In Buddhism, this “ghost flag” represents the soul moving on to the other world.
A ghost flag flies quietly, representing the soul of the deceased moving on.
Here is a fellow blogger’s account of the funeral ceremony, LTO Cambodia. He was fortunate to be able to go and see the funeral proceedings.
APAD 083: The last day of the King-Father’s funeral
The Royal Palace.
This photo was taken very early this morning, 6am-ish, from the Chroy Changvar peninsula.
The mourners, coming from near and far, are gathered in front of the Palace, wearing black and white. They’re all going to be queueing at the Royal Cremation Pavillion to pay their last respects to the King-Father Norodom Sihanouk. A sombre mood prevails. As there was not a sign of wind, yet the funeral music that is playing is carried over across the river.
As final touches are being made, it is going to be an elaborate cremation ceremony later tonight.
Here’s a short vid clip where you can listen to the funeral music.
APAD 082: Overcast
Today is the first of the 4-day funeral for the King-Father Norodom Sihanouk. It is going to be an elaborate ceremony beginning with a procession that will take the former King’s body from the Royal Palace, where it was lying in state, to a cremation site in front of the National Museum just a block away. Millions of people are expected to attend, most of which come from the countryside. The cremation will be held on on February 4.
This photo was taken one afternoon, one week earlier. The sky was overcast, a crowd of mourners wearing white and black gathered, waiting to be ushered inside the Royal Palace.
An overcast sky. Even the sky is mourning the King Father’s death.
APAD 081: Top Banana
A friend of mine and I had the most delicious fish and chips meal at a rooftop restaurant last Tuesday. The place is located in Phnom Penh’s Golden Street, aka Street 278, a lively strip with lots of restaurants, boutiques and guesthouses. As I was descending the staircase, this sign caught my attention:
Top Banana.
You’ll never walk alone.
Bottom: We make cool shit happen.
I like the black over yellow background. It catches one’s attention easily.
It shows the silhouette of the iconic landmarks in Phnom Penh’s riverside area – the Royal Palace, National Museum, to name a few.
Top Banana Guesthouse is a popular place for backpackers looking for fun but cheap accommodation in the Penh.
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