Cambodian Water Festival is one of the
biggest national festivals in Cambodia. It is always celebrated on November
every year for 3 days. The festival is celebrated in all provinces across the
Kingdom of Cambodia. But the biggest event is held in the capital city of Cambodia,
Phnom Penh, in Tonle Sap River in front of the Royal Palace. There is a massive
boat race tournament from day 1 until day 3 which is the final day. Racers from
across Cambodia bring their boat and team to the city to participate in the
race. The winners are announced on the final day of water festival which is on
day 3. The king of Cambodia along with minsters and other high-rank state
officials are invited to watch the event.
It is observed that Water Festival is
the happiest time for people across the country because they all will have three
days off from work and the temperature is great since it is the Kadek season,
the winter in Cambodia. Some people in provinces normally head to the capital
city of Phnom Penh with friends and families to watch the biggest boat race as
well as to see the beauty of the city and to have fun. At night the city is lit
up with colorful lights, fireworks are displayed, concert is played. Different
types of foods are sold everywhere.
Beautiful lanterns called Protits made
by different ministries to represent their great achievement are decorated with
colorful lights and are floated in the Tonle Sap River in front of the Royal
Palace at nights.
This ceremony is celebrated every to commemorate
the historical victory of Cambodian navy over our enemy, Cham, in the past. And
there is a detailed story for this celebration below.
The Boat Race, Ork Ambok, Moon Worship
and Lantern Floating Festival are celebrated every year in the Kingdom of
Cambodia. The boat race lasts for 3 days starting from the 14th Roach and 15th
Roach (Roach in Khmer means the processes of the moon gets darker and darker)
to the 1st day of the lunar month literally called Kadek season in Khmer.
Generally, at night beautiful lanterns made by different ministries are floated
in the Mekong River in front the Royal Palace of Cambodia and Phnom Penh and at
other provinces, pagodas across Cambodia make their own lanterns called Protips
to float at ponds nearby each pagoda. As for the Ork Ambok festival to worship
the moon (Sampas Preah Kher), it is held on the second day which basically is in
the middle of the night on the 15th Kert, which means the moon is getting
fuller and fuller.
The Water Festival dates back to the
reign of Jayavarman VII. During 1177, the Chams led troops to invade and
control Cambodia for about four years. At that time, Jayavarman VII unified the
nation and spent time strengthening and strategizing an army to attack the Cham
until he gained victory from them, and he officially took the throne in 1181
and made the country prosperous in all sectors. This history is the reason that
the Cambodian people to celebrate this festival to commemorate the heroic
victory of the Khmer Navy, which liberated the land from the oppression of the
Cham which was the Cambodian enemy that time.
This historic event is supported by Cambodian
people all over Cambodia and it is always celebrated every year with boat races
and the racers are both men and women. The Water Festival is also associated
with other ceremonies, such as the floating of lanterns, Bandet Protip, and the
worship of the moon god, Sampas Preah Kher, which is a strong reflection of
religious beliefs. On the occasion of the Water Festival, people in some
provinces bring their boats to the cities to participate in the boat race on
the Tonle Sap River in front of the Royal Palace to win for their respective provinces.
In this ceremony, it also features a
floating lantern, Bondet Protip. The meaning of this Protip is to express the
remembrance of the merits of the water god, Kong Kea, and the earth god, Preah
Thorony, which constantly grant happiness, good harvest from agricultural work
and prosperous daily life of farmers. In addition to the floating lanterns,
there is also fireworks display, which is always attended by a large number of
people and make the event even more active and joyful.
On the second day which is the 15th
day of the Kadek (winter) season, there will be another ceremony called the Ork
Ambok ceremony to worship the moon god. Ork Ambok ceremony is held by the
Cambodian people to commemorate the Buddha who was born as a rabbit. That time
Buddha sacrificed his life to Preah In to fullfil his merit.
According to the beliefs of Khmer
ancestors, people understand that our great teacher the Buddha or Samma Samput
was born as a rabbit before he enlightened (becoming a Buddha). Once Preah Inn
came down and appeared as a Brahmin in front of the rabbit and said, "My
life will be lost without having food right now." At that time, the
rabbit, the character of our bodhisattva, replied, “I have only this body
containing blood and flesh and if you want to eat, please go and find some
firewood and set it on fire, I’ll jump into it as food for you.”
Just hearing that, Preah Inn
immediately set the firewood he had collected on fire. And the rabbit jumped
into the fire immediately, without hesitation, but with the power of great
kindness and the great sacrifice of the rabbit, Preah Inn flew to hold the
rabbit protecting him from getting burned even a single fur. Since then, Preah
Inn flew back to the heaven to take a marble to draw a rabbit on the face of the
moon.
It is the story of this bodhisattva is
the reason that the locals celebrate this event every year in pagodas,
villages, districts and towns with bananas, coconut milk, fruits, etc. to
commemorate the bodhisattva.
