Water Festival

Our annual traditional festival, Bon Om Touk Auk Ambok Sampeah Preah Khe, has been named in English to be Water Festival. This is quite misleading. Many confuse it as the water splashing done during New Year which happens on mid-April. Our Water Festival actually involves much more and represents a unique cultural heritage of this country.

Om Touk means boat racing.
Auk Ambok means offering of bananas and ambok.
Sampeah preah khe means paying respect to the full moon.
The festival also coincides with the tradition of Bandeth Pratib - floating pratib.
The festival falls on different dates each year although mostly in November. It is decided based on lunar calendar. To learn more about this extraordinary event, read below.

This year, we have ASEAN boat race! November 23-25, 2007. Visit Cambodia and witness our spectacular annual festival of boat racing, a legend of this beautiful and rich culture. The Ministry of Tourism has made special seating arrangements for tourists' comfort. Do join us!


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The history of the Regatta Festival has been chronicled by the Cambodian people and also foreigners for a very long time. In fact, the festival is depicted in stones of the Angkorian period. There are three different histories to the festival, each quite distinctive.

1. According to the chronicle of King Jayavarman VII in the ancient Academic Buddhist Institute, it is claimed; in the 12th century of the Angkorian era, Cambodia had achieved peace and prosperity following Preah Bath Jayavarman VII's success in a naval war with the neighboring Chams. The war victory(1177-1181 AD) liberated Cambodia and is inscribed on the bas relief of the Bayon Temple and the Banteay Chhmar Temple. On the bas relief there are images of the navy with Preah Bath Jayavarman VII bravely wielding a fighting stick and bow on the royal barge.

2. According to documentation written by Mr. Trach Pen, the lay teacher of the Academic Buddhist College in Kampuchea Kraom Kleang Khet, it is mentioned that: In the Longvek era (2071 BE. 1528 AD). Preah Bath Ang Chann I appointed Ponhea Tat to the position of King Tranh (District King) of Kampuchea Kraom Bassak District.
Racing at the junction allowed easier access for many provinces. The event became an annual tradition providing the navy with the opportunity to show its military prowess.

3. It is said that the water festival is one of the most spectacular traditional events. It is described as being similar to some festivals held in the north of Europe today. Some traditionalists claim the history of the festival lies in close connection with the history of Buddha, however, others translate that the festival represents a thanksgiving to the Gods of Water and Earth for providing the livelihood and welfare for the Cambodian people. One final translation relates to the festival following the tradition of Brahmanism and reflecting the daily life of the farming community. The District King assigned a royal administration to defend his district. He divided his navy into three different types of boats with his troops trained in specific fighting styles:

Group 1- The Vanguard
A boat that is similar in shape to today’s racing boat.
Group 2- The Reserve Army
The rowing boats traveled two abreast.
Group 3- Bassak Army
A large boat with a roof structure, fixed oars and sail. This boat is similar in shape to the traditional “Junk” used on the Bassak. The boat was used primarily to store the army’s supplies.

The navy was headed by the King on Earth and King Tranh who directed four ministers “Four Columns”. During the period of the full moon in November the four ministers mobilised their troops for a campaign for one day and one night. The navy was ordered to a boat race on the river Peam Kanthao in Khet Kleang at a junction of the river.


The water festival is held on the full moon in November coinciding with the rainy season. During this time the lakes flood creating great seas and in turn it is time to harvest the rice. When the Mekong River swells during the period August to November, the waters flow into the Tonlé Sap Lake from the south to the north. Then in the low water season following November, the lake waters ebb and the flow reverses back from the Tonlé Sap into the Mekong River from the north to the south. This annual flooding of the Mekong River, with its source in Tibet, provides the livelihood for many Cambodian farmers.

The silt that is carried by the flood waters is extremely fertile providing a rich resource for Cambodia. The crops produced in the low water season are essential to the welfare of the Cambodian people.
For this reason the Khmer people choose the full moon of Khe Kadek as the time to conduct the water festival, the procession of illuminated floats, the salutation to the moon, and the Auk Ambok as a means to express their profound thanks to the Mekong River and Tonlé Sap River.
The festival is usually held for three days, i.e. the 14th and 15th of the waxing moon and the 1st of the waning moon. Festivities take place in front of the Royal Palace.

The Festival of Illuminated Floats
Pic source: www.tourismcambodia.com

This festival consecrates Preah Changkaum Keo (the main parts of Buddha) in the Naga World and the Buddha's footprints in the five directions detailed below. The Khmer people conduct this festival during the full moon of November. it is believed that great merit and prosperity will be provided to the country.

In Pali Teathavong scripture it is said that the four Preah Changkaum Keo are dedicated in four directions:
* Traitroeng Paradise
* Naga World
* Srok Kanthea
* Toan Borakalin Roath

In Pali Pheana Veara it is said that the footprints of the Buddha are located in five directions:
. Sovann Mealika Barapoat
. Sovann Barapoat
. Sovann Koda Barapoat
. Yoonka Borei
. Stoeng Neamatea

In the prose and Pali praise of Preah Bath "Yortha Baté" it is also said that Buddha's footprints are located in five directions as in Pheana Veara.

The Festival of the Sampeah Preah Khe and Auk Ambok

Pic source: www.leisurecambodia.com

Sampeah Preah Khe means the salutation to the moon.
Auk Ambok means the offering of bananas and Ambok. In the first phrase of Pali scripture of Baromathatibani Atha Katha Chariya Bedak, it is said that the Great Buddha was born on the full moon as Sasa Bandit or "Wise man born in the form of the Rabbit". Indra decided to test the faces by disguising himself as an old Brahman and begged for Sasa Bandit's flesh as food. Sasa Bandit told the old Brahman to light a fire and once the fire was burning strongly he shook himself three times to let the insects perched on him to escape and then leapt into the flames. Fortunately the flames did not touch Sasa Bandit and the old Brahman hurried to carry him to the moon in his arms. He drew an image of the rabbit on the moon in Maneang Sela "plaster" and wished the figure of the rabbit long life. Under the power of the Buddha and the resolution of Indra, the shape of the rabbit has appeared in the moon ever since. To reflect this belief the Khmer people celebrate it annually during the full moon of the Khe Kadek. They prepare special cakes, Ambok and bananas to salute the moon.
Source: www.mot.gov.kh

Feeding the Ancestors: The Cambodian Pchum Ben Festival

By Antonio Graceffo

The fifteenth day, of the tenth month, of the Khmer calendar marks the Pchum Ben festival. This is a time when the spirits of the dead ancestors walk the Earth. And the living can ease their suffering by offering them food to eat.

At four in the morning, nearly all of the residents of Phnom Penh gather at the temple with offerings of rice, which they toss on the ground, feeding the dead ancestors.

“Some of the ghosts have small mouths,” one man explains. “So we have to use special rice.”

Many of the people throw sticky rice, which, apparently is easier for the spirits to consume.

According to Buddhist beliefs, the lives that we live, after death, are predicated by the actions that we took when we were living. Minor infractions would be punished with small punishments, such as being an unattractive ghost or having a small mouth. With a small mouth, it is hard to eat. Other, more severe, punishments could include being crippled or having no mouth at all. At 8:00 AM, people return to the temple, with offerings for the monks. “They don’t just give food,” explains Mey Sameth, who was a monk for seven years. “They bring money and other things as well. As a monk we looked forward to this period all year long, because we could get new clothing and good food.”

At 10:00 the people return with more food, which will be shared between monks and poor people. Os many of the Buddhist traditions seem to relate to feeding the poor. Disabled people also crowd around the temple tat is hour, begging alms. To give help to the less-fortunate, particularly during Pchum Ben, is to acquire merit. Many people explained that the offerings they made during the festival were to cancel out past sins.

Between 5:00-7:00 PM there will be more prayers for the dead. “At 8:00 we monks had to go to bed,” laughs Sameth, fondly remembering his days of obedience and simplicity. “Because the people would be coming back to the temple at 4:00 the next morning, we had to be up at 3:00.”

Most modern Khmers will say that the festival lasts fifteen days, ending on the fifteenth of the month. In actuality, the ancient, traditional festival lasted three months, ending on the fifteenth day, of the tenth month of the year.

Mey Sameth, explains more about the festival. “The Buddha commanded that the monks remain in doors and do nothing for these three months,” he says. “It was a good time for monks to pray and meditate, and go deeper into their practice of Buddhism. But it also had a practical effect. In the past, poor people were invited to plant crops inside of the temple grounds, to supplement their diet. If the monks were active, walking around, they could destroy the young plants. So, they were commanded to stay in doors.”

For the monks, the festival represents a special time of reflection, during which they could concentrate on purifying their minds. “We want to be free of vice. And remember the commandments.” The commandments include: Do not do harm (kill), No sex, Do not lie, No Alcohol, and no stealing. “If the young monks committed an infraction during the festival, then we would not be permitted to take part, which would mean that we wouldn’t get any offerings.”

The last four days of the festival were public holidays in Cambodia. Most Khmers visited the province where they were born, where they had family reunions.

In observing friends and colleagues, it was amazing to see that even people who considered themselves only marginally religious still took the Pchum Ben festival seriously. They felt a real obligation to feed their ancestors, lest their suffering should continue. Even friends who claimed to have converted to Christianity, and who attended church regularly, took time out of their schedule to make the early morning pilgrimage to the temple, and feed the ancestors.

It was as if they were saying that their choice to convert was a personal decision, but one that shouldn’t be imposed on the souls who died before. Historic records show that even under the Khmer Rouge, and later under the communists, prohibitions against religious worship were unenforceable during Pchum Ben. In fact, the prohibitions were eventually lifted, with the result that high ranking Party members felt obligated to attend temple with their superiors.

The Buddhist religion is such an integral part of the Khmer culture that neither political upheaval, economic crisis, the spread of foreign religions, or the intervention of modern society will shake the fundamentals of Khmer beliefs. It is refreshing to see that, although many aspects of the Khmer culture were lost during the Regime, the Khmers have managed to maintain their religious devotion and their family-centered way of life.

Some Khmer Kings and Temples

Note: We have attempted to date the monuments as accurately as possible. Nevertheless, some dates of construction are not definite as they are still in dispute by scholars and/or the monuments were built and rebuilt during different periods of time. Monuments labeled (T) are located in present-day Thailand.

9th Century

Jaya II (802-50)
Kulen
Indra I (877-89)
Preah Ko
Bakong
Yaso I (899-900+)
Lolei

10th Century

Yaso I (899-900+)
Phnom Bakheng
Phnom Kro
Phnom Bok
Baksei Chamkrong
Prasat Kravan
Rajendra (944-68)
East Mebon
Pre Rup
Bat Chum
Jaya V (968-1001)
Banteay Srei
Ta Keo
Muang Tam (T)

11th Century

Surya I (1002-50)
Phimean-akas
Preah Vihear
Phnom Chisor
Wat Phu
Udayaditya II (1050-66)
Baphuon
West Mebon
Phnom Wan (T)
Jaya VI (1080-1113)
Phimai (T)

12th – 13th Centuries

Surya II (1113-50)
Angkor Wat
Chau Say Tevada
Thommanon
Preah Pithu
Banteay Samre
Beng Mealea
Phnom Rung (T)
Jaya VII (1181-1219)
Angkor Thom - Gateways, Royal Terraces, Bayon
Spean Praptos
Banteay Kdei
Ta Prohm
Preah Khan
Neak Pean
Srah Srang
Ta Som
Ta Nei
Banteay Chmar

Note: The Kings here all possess the title of "varman" due to their great abilities, strengths, efforts, attainments, and achievements in/for the prosperity of the Khmer Empire.

Source: www.khmerinstitute.org

The Children of the Garbage Field

Just 70 miles outside Phnom Penh, children pick through trash heaps, living amidst the filth and squalor of a garbage dump.
..................
Antonio Graceffo

The air was hot, thick and sickeningly sweet, with countless odors of decay. Smoke rose up from the putrid waste. Sameth, my Khmer stringer, and I stepped off the motorcycle, and sank several inches into foul mud. Garbage was piled stories high, covering the kilometer long dump site. People, the wretchedly poor, clad only in rags, swarmed over the heaps of refuse, like ants, searching out the saleable morsels, that would keep them alive, to pick trash another day.

"I told you they were poor." Said Sameth, as if I hadn't believed him. And, in a way, I hadn't. We've all read about the desperate poor who comb the trash heaps of Sao Paolo and Rio. But somehow, the depth, the sheer magnitude of human suffering could only be appreciated when experienced at first hand.

We had only been in the dump a few minutes, and I was already nauseous. Sameth was choking back bile. We would be leaving soon. But to the dwellers of the trash dump at Stung Mien Jai [Steung Mian Chey], this was their home. And, like prisoners on a life sentence, they would never be leaving. Trying to imagine what depths of poverty would drive human beings to such a desperate existence, it seemed ironic, that we were only 70 Km from the posh hotels and foreigner hangouts of Phnom Penh.

As often happens, I was shy about taking photos of the disadvantaged, as they went about their grizzly work. I didn't want to be another tourist, coming to gawk at human misfortune. But there was a story here that needed to be told. As a journalist you are taught to disassociate yourself from the story. At best, you should become an extension of your camera, recording, but not feeling the drama which pass through your lens. No one teaches you to lose your optimism. But that goes too, as you realize that nothing you write will make a difference. It is more likely that a reader will use this story as a coaster, to keep rings off the coffee table, than that someone would step in and help these people.

"Man holds in his mortal hands, the power to annihilate all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life." JFK

My words and my photos seemed a weak medicine against the virus of poverty. But it was all I had. I had to try.

Anonymous suffering can be tolerated. But thanks to Sameth, I was able to communicate with the real people toiling in the garbage dump. They had names, and they had stories. Nearly everyone we spoke with came from the rural provinces, with the exception of one young lad, named Sopee [Sophy], who was born in the dumps. He was a second generation trash picker, and knew no other life. Most explained that they were driven to the deepest slum of Phnom Penh because there was no work in the province. Their land or their water had been encroached, making it impossible for them to farm. Almost all of the families in the dump were incomplete, with a father or mother, or some loving family member left behind, to try and eke out some type of existence, on barren or non-existent farmland. Many were trying to send money home, from their meager earnings.

Somai Chun, the mother of four children, looked to be in her seventies, but was only in her late forties. Her tiny body was wracked with pain and fever. Since the seizure of their land, her husband remained in the province, seeking what work he could find, while she and the children all worked full time, gathering trash. Neither she, nor her children could read or write. Together they could earn about 3,000 to 4,000 riel per day (just about $1.00 US).

The people working the dumps lived in small shacks, made of scrap tin and irregular bits of wood and plastic. Rent on a shack, with a single electric light bulb, ran 30,000 Riels per month. If the tenants couldn't afford to pay monthly, the daily rate was 1,500 Riels, with no electricity. The water available to them came directly from the garbage fields. It was greasy and emitted a nauseous odor. The food was no better. Anything that came in contact with the fetid air of the garbage dump was instantly contaminated.

A man named Yan invited us to his small hut, where eight people slept in a space about one meter by one and a half meters. He told me that he had moved to the dumps five years ago, bringing his four children and his wife with him. With the whole family working, they could earn 4,000 to 5,000 Riels per day. He hated for his family to drink the filthy dump water. So, he bought bottled water when he could. But at 2,000 Riels per bottle, it was too expensive to drink all the time.

Neighbors gathered around, to see the rich, well-fed foreigner and his well-off driver, who had come to photograph their suffering. I asked Yan what sort of health problems he and his family had experienced, and suddenly the entire crowd burst out in rapid fire Khmer, rattling off symptoms, including diarrhea, headaches, joint pains, skin lesions, eye infections, fever, heart problems, respiratory ailments...The list went on and on.

An aged woman, named Yosee Mon barely parted the crowd, and spoke right to my face. "If you want to see something, come to my house." As wretchedly as the others lived, Yosee Mon was even worse off. Apparently, when land near the dump was encroached, flood pumps were redirected to be used as irrigation for commercial farming projects. Now, when it rained, which was every day, at this time of year, the dump flooded. Yosee Mon's shack was underwater three months of the year. A small boy waded out into the water, as if to show me the way to the shack. But try as I might, I couldn't follow. The thought of stepping into that putrid water made my stomach queasy. And, I was wearing hiking boots. Most of the garbage dwellers were bare foot, or wearing cheap flip flops.

Yosee Mon told us that she was all alone. Her children and her husband had long since died. She was often too ill to work, but had to, or there would be no food at all. Each day she earned enough for her rent, plus one thousand Riels. Of this excess, she used 500 for food, and saved the other 500, to buy medicine at the end of each month. "Medicine is expensive."She complained. "And in Cambodia, most of it is fake."

That human beings are entitled to a certain standard of living is an axiom to us who come from the land of plenty. We take it as given that people have the right to clean water and clean food and air. We also believe that they are entitled to a fair wage for their labor. But beyond these material needs, human beings have a right to dream, to hope and pray for a better future. In the black cloud of despair, which clung to the garbage dumps of Stung Mien Jay [Steung Mian Chey], I had just about given up hope of finding a silver lining. Thank God, I stumbled onto a bright, thirteen year old boy, named Soah [Suos], who was the leader of a group of eight children, who only worked half days in the dumps, so they could pay their school tuition. They were all small for their age, and still in the second grade, but each day at 12:30, they stopped work, to attend school. Soah and his friends were the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe, just maybe, one of them will make it all of the way through school, find a decent job, and end the cycle of suffering for his family.

Soah, one child among hundreds, has some minimal chance of survival. If this is what passes for good news, then where are we as a society?

Sameth gave notebooks and pens to Soah and his friends, to aid their studies. We handed out as many 100 Riel notes as we could. But in the end, what good had we done? They would eat for a day. But aren't people entitled to eat for a life time?

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About the Author
Before 9/11, Antonio Graceffo was a succesful investment banker working on Wall Street, in New York City. Since then, he has edicated his life to becoming a full time adventurer and writer, fullfilling all of his childhood dreams. He studied Kung Fu in Taiwan and wrote two books about his experiences there. He spent several months at the Shaolin Temple, and has written a series of articles and a book about that experience. Most recently he pedalled a tricycle-rickshaw accross 540 km of the Taklamakan Desert.

More of his articles on Cambodia and others can be found here:
http://speakingadventure.com/articles.htm
http://www.phnompenhtours.com/article.htm
http://viewsunplugged.com/VU/20040624/reflection_salaam.shtml

Bokator

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokator

Bokator/Boxkator, or more formally, Labok Katao(which means wielding a wooden stick to fight lions) is an ancient Khmer martial art said to be the predecessor of all Southeast Asian kickboxing styles. Depicted in bas reliefs at Angkor Wat, Bokator was the close quarter combat system used by the ancient Angkor army. Bokator bears much of the responsibility for Cambodia's domination during the Angkorean era. It is believed that Jayavarman VII, the illustrious ruler of the Khmer Empire, was a practitioner of Bokator. Bokator weaves together Cambodia's ancient religious traditions of Buddhism and Brahmanism.

In ancient Cambodia, before the Mon-Khmer period, a martial art was created to hunt and defend oneself from the wild animals in the jungles of the land. During the Mon-Khmer period the techniques used to fight and hunt the wild animals were adapted to fight people. The Khmer Morn used these techniques as a way to protect and expand their nation. During that time, the Martial Art was known as Khorm Yuth.
Sometime after the Angkorean period the name Labok Katou (Bokator, Boxkator) was adopted. It was practiced by Khmer soldiers, generals, and kings and was invaluable in winning wars against both the Cham and the Thai empires.
Unfortunately, the early Khmer did not keep written records like the Chinese and Japanese of those times. The only historical records of Khmer Boxkator that can be found are the carvings on the walls of Jayavarman VII’s temples, such as the Bayon, Preah Lean, Chal Damrey and Angkor Wat.

Unlike kick boxing, which is a sport fighting art, Boxkator was a soldier’s art, designed to be used on the battlefield. It is a very complete martial art, which uses strikes, throws, drags, trapping, locking, and ground fighting. Every single part of the body can be used as a weapon. Boxkator practitioners are trained to strike with knees, hands, elbows, feet, shins, and head. Even the shoulders, hip, jaw, and fingers can be used to beat an opponent to submission or death.

When fighting, Boxkator practitioners still wear the uniforms of ancient Khmer armies. A kroma (scarf) is folded around their waist and blue and red silk cords called sangvar day, are tied around the combatants head and biceps. In the past, the cords were enchanted to increase strength, although now they are just ceremonial. The kroma shows the fighter’s level of expertise. A series of grades, each taking at least five months to complete training seven days a week and 2 hours a day, are represented by different colors. The first grade is white, followed by green, blue, red, brown and then black which has 10 degrees. After completing their initial training, fighters wear a Black Kroma (scarf) for at least another ten years. To attain the Gold Kroma you must be a true master and must have done something great for Boxkator. And to become a true master it will definitely take some time as just in the unarmed portion of the art there are between 8000 and 10000 different techniques; only 1000 of which you have to learn to attain the black kroma. The art contains 341 different styles some of which are the duck, crab, horse, bird, dragon, eagle, crane, wind, fire, water, earth(or stone,) king monkey, lion, elephant, apsara (traditional Hindu sacred nymph), and crocodile.

Because of its visually similar style, Bokator (Boxkator) is commonly misattributed as version of modern day kick boxing. Bokator has many forms based on styles as well as straight practical fighting techniques. While Pradal Serey is a more simplified freestyle fighting system which uses a few of the basic (white kroma) punching, elbow, kicking and kneeing techniques.

http://www.talesofasia.com/rs-99-bokator.htm
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/TXT/current/stories/1520/from.htm
http://www.usadojo.com/articles/bokator-khmer.htm
http://i-newswire.com/pr72246.html
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2006/09/300-participate-in-first-bokator.html
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Fighting/MixedMartialArts/2006/09/19/1862730-ca.html