Wat Phnom or “Hill Temple” came about in 1372 when Lady Penh went down to fetch water from Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She found a dead tree floating in the river and inside it were four bronze and one stone Buddha statues.
This was considered a lucky omen so she had a temple built to house them on the only hill around – all 27ft. of it. And that is where Wat Phnom sits today.
The Saturday we visited in October there was the usual circus happening outside the Wat. Birds were being set free for a fee (they come back later), postcards, photocopied books were being sold and everyone, us included, were enjoying the shade and cool green of the gardens.
Inside the Wat was a feast for the senses. From the chiming sound of the Khmer Xylophones, to the exotic smell of incense sticks burning in sand; from the flame of the tall as me candles to that of the dainty ones floating in their brass pots. Add to this the perfectly folded lotus flowers or the gaudily painted murals and you have a heady mix.
If you need some luck to come your way Wat Phnom is the place to go. Light a candle put your wish into prayer form and if it comes true make sure to come back with a gift (bananas are preferred).
Have you ever had a wish granted?
Erzurum to Dogubayazit in Photos
Hi Jan,
I hope that my brother saw this place. He was stationed in Phnom Penh during the Viet Nam War in 1968/69. I still have his letters that tell of a place so beautiful he couldn’t describe it.
I have always wanted to go there to speak to his spirit. Wat Phnom seems like the perfect conduit for that conversation! Your pics will stay in my heart until I get there.
Josie
I am sure that if he did not see this particular Wat, he would have seen another, although this one was particularly nice because of its surrounding garden which I shall cover in a separate post. Thanks for visiting Josie.
Amazing place… so colorful…
Does it look like temples in Japan Lily?
Hi Jan, your photos brings fond memories. We didn’t light a candle so I don’t think we’re going back any time soon to offer bananas. I hope you’re having a wonderful time in Cambodia. Look forward to your future posts.
Nor us Marisol – I just love Buddhist temples though. 🙂
The combination of the smells sounds a bit too much! I like lighting candles but sometimes they end up giving me a headache. Love the idea of visiting Wat Phnom for having a wish come true. And yes I have had many dreams turn into reality – its asking the right question to get the right answer that I am working on 🙂
Good luck with that one Lisa!
How exotic, Jan. I’d love to go there.
Hi Andrew, I love the colour – plenty of that where you are 🙂
I have been in some of the Buddhist temples in Thailand which look a little similar to this. So much opulence for a poor country. We are stopping at a port in Cambodia on our Asian cruise next January so hopefully will be able to check out a temple or two. Cambodia really interests me.
Hi Kathy, This is only a quite small temple in Phnom Penh. I agree the Cambodian people are heart breakingly poor and with such a sad history. Which port will you be stopping in Kathy?