Wat
Wat Bo
វត្តរាជបូណ៌
Wat Bo (វត្តរាជបូណ៌, Wat Reach Bo) is a Buddhist Wat on the east bank of the Siem Reap River in Siem Reap, Cambodia.[1][2] Its abbot presides over the Thera Sabha, the council of senior monks of Cambodian Buddhism.[3]
History
The vihara (ព្រះវិហារ, the main ordination hall) probably dates from the reign of King Norodom[1] or from the early 20th century.[2] Its inside walls carry murals of the Reamker, the Khmer Ramayana, painted between 1920 and 1924 by a painter named Pel and his nephew Dit. Both men also made puppets for Sbek Thom, the large shadow-puppet theater, and the figures in the murals take the poses of its puppets.[1] It is built of brick and lime mortar on a two-tier base, about 20 m by 16 m (66 by 52 ft), under a tall tiled roof. Its two carved wooden gables show Vishnu riding the garuda, a bird deity.[2]
In the Sangkum Reastr Niyum period, Wat Bo was the largest Wat in the provincial town, with 80 to 100 monks. Samdech Tep Vong, later Great Supreme Patriarch of the Mohanikaya order, once lived in the vihara.[2]
The vihara has been repaired since the French colonial period. The APSARA National Authority, which manages the Angkor area, began restoring it with Italian experts in 2014;[1] the work ran from 2017 to 2021 in another account.[2] Monks and lay followers paid for the first phase, a survey and a steel shelter roof, at the initiative of the abbot, Pin Sem. APSARA paid for the repair of the roof itself.[1] In 2022 APSARA restored the Wat's old sala chan (dining hall), starting in July and finishing in November.[4][5]
Religious life
As of 2025 and 2026, the abbot was Samdech Preah Brahma Rattanamony Sereysovano Pin Sem, president of the Thera Sabha.[3][6] On January 24, 2025, the Council of Monks on Angkor Pagoda Affairs, which looks after the 35 Wats of the Angkor area, met at Wat Bo under his chairmanship.[7]
Each March the Wat holds a day of remembrance for Supreme Patriarch Chuon Nath and the committee that prepared the Khmer edition of the Tipitaka, the Buddhist canon, in 110 volumes between 1930 and 1968. The 14th took place on March 23, 2025, with a procession through Siem Reap.[8] The 15th, on March 13 and 14, 2026, opened with a procession of the Triple Gem through the town and included chanting, a sermon, meditation and chapei (long-necked lute) music. Pupils of the Wat Reach Bo primary school played for the ceremony, and on the second morning lay people offered food to 350 monks.[9][10]
On October 2, 2026, during Pchum Ben, staff of the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank kept the sixth day of kan ben (កាន់បិណ្ឌ, one of the days of offerings to monks that lead up to Pchum Ben) at Wat Bo and made offerings to the abbot.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ministry of Information (AKP), វត្តរាជបូណ៌ជាវត្តដ៏ចំណាស់មានលក្ខណៈស្ថាបត្យកម្មល្អឯក ត្រូវបានជួសជុល និង អភិរក្សដោយអាជ្ញាធរជាតិអប្សរា (November 28, 2019)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 AMS Khmer Civilization, ព្រះវិហារវត្តរាជបូណ៌និងគំនូរបុរាណរឿងរាមកេរ្តិ៍ (undated)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 AKP, សម្ដេចព្រះព្រហ្មរតនមុនី ពិន សែម រួមជាមួយអាជ្ញាធរខេត្តសៀមរាប ចុះសួរសុខទុក្ខនិងចែកស្បៀងអាហារដល់ជនភៀសសឹកមកស្នាក់នៅតាមវត្តក្នុងក្រុងសៀមរាប (December 11, 2025)
- ↑ APSARA National Authority, APSARA National Authority restoring the ancient hall at Reach Bo pagoda (July 19, 2022) (archived March 28, 2025)
- ↑ APSARA National Authority, The restoration project of the ancient hall at Reach Bo pagoda completed (November 28, 2022) (archived February 3, 2023)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 TVK, ឯកឧត្តមបណ្ឌិត កៅ ថាច និងលោកជំទាវ សួរ សុខគីម អញ្ជើញដឹកនាំសហការីចូលរួមពិធីបុណ្យកាន់បិណ្ឌទី៦ នៅវត្តរាជបូណ៌ ខេត្តសៀមរាប (October 2, 2026)
- ↑ APSARA National Authority, APSARA National Authority Participates in Council of Monks Meeting on Angkor Pagoda Affairs (January 24, 2025) (archived June 21, 2025)
- ↑ AKP, វត្តរាជបូណ៌ដង្ហែរូបសំណាក់រំឭកព្រះឧបការគុណ សម្ដេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជ ជួន ណាត និងក្រុមជំនុំព្រះត្រៃបិដកខ្មែរ លើកទី១៤ មានអ្នកចូលរួមយ៉ាងច្រើនកុះករ (March 23, 2025)
- ↑ Kampuchea Thmey, លោកជំទាវបណ្ឌិត ពេជ ចន្ទមុន្នី អញ្ជើញចូលរួមទិវាបុណ្យរំឭកឧបការគុណសម្ដេចព្រះមហាសង្ឃរាជ ជួន ណាត (March 14, 2026)
- ↑ AKP, វត្តរាជបូណ៌រៀបចំបុណ្យរំឭកព្រះឧបការគុណ សម្តេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជ ជោតញ្ញាណោ ជួន ណាត និងក្រុមជំនុំព្រះត្រៃបិដកខ្មែរ លើកទី១៥ (March 13, 2026)