A Change of Guard

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Wednesday 29 September 2010

First Kan Ben of the Pchum Ben festival held at Wat Sekha Kirisvarak Pagoda

Cambodian troops and the Buddhist faithful standing in front of the Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak temple gate.

By Khmerization
Source: Koh Santepheap

On 24th September, Mr. Sor Thary, Deputy Governor of Preah Vihear province, led a delegation of the Cambodian Buddhist faithful to Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak Pagoda and, together with troops stationed at the temple, held the first Kan Ben ceremony at the temple which was invaded by Thai troops more than 2 years ago.

During the ceremony, the Buddhist faithful had donated 14 boxes of pure water, 600 Onsom cakes (sticky banana cakes), 10 kilograms of sugar, 2 sacks of rice, 1 dozen of soya seasoning sauce, 2 dozens of fish sauce, 160,000 riels ($40) for each of the 12 monks residing at the temple, 50,00 riels for each of the 15 nuns at the temple and they have donated 3 million riels for the expenditures and the maintenance of the temple.

Kan Ben is a ceremony in Cambodian tradition when the Buddhist faithful took turn to cook and bring food to the monks one month before and leading up to the Pchum Ben (Ancestors) Festival when the monks are in respite because they can't go out to collect alms due to the rainy season.

Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak became a contentious and conflict point between Cambodia and Thailand after hundreds of Thai troops invaded it on 15th July 2008, 7 days after Preah Vihear temple was inscribed as a world heritage site by Unesco. As of today, 10 unarmed Thai troops still remain at the temple.

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