The giant faces of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and attendants
From the top of Phnom Baset on Sunday I could see at least two large 'Angkor Wat' style buildings in the distance. Wat Nokor Vimean Suor is the most popular one, inundated with Khmer tourists and families taking a break from Phnom Penh and basking in its notoriety as the backdrop in many of the country's karaoke video-shoots. The other red-coloured pagoda in a similar style is the more sedate Wat Sovantomreach. Currently in its eighth year of construction, the main vihara is still not complete though its a functioning pagoda and two families were receiving blessings and fortune-tellings as I wandered through the immense building with high ceilings and numerous passageways. The outside entrance to the grounds of the pagoda was eye-catching to say the least. Its a replica of the massive Gates of Angkor Thom - with the gargantuan faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara peering out over statues of gods and demons pulling on a naga - and as I arrived, two monks, Sophat and Jansat stopped for a chat and invited me to meet their fellow monks at the back of the main vihara, where some of the structures are half-painted and still under construction. I hope my photos give you a feel for the place - it's well worth a visit as part of your Phnom Baset 'experience'.
54 demons pull on the body of a naga in a representation of the Churning of the Sea of MilkThe impressive causeway leading to the main entrance to the pagoda
Painting and construction is on-going at Wat SovantomreachLight streams into the main altar area of the vihara
New friends; LtoR: Sopha, Sokvan, Sophat and Jansat
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