Wat
Wat Damnak
វត្តដំណាក់
Wat Damnak (វត្តដំណាក់) is a Buddhist Wat on the east bank of the Siem Reap River in Siem Reap, Cambodia.[1][2] As of 2014 its grounds held the offices of the Center for Khmer Studies.[3]
History
The old vihara (ព្រះវិហារ, the main ordination hall) stands on a high stepped base with stone walls and a tiled roof. It is believed to date from the late 19th century. The year 1919 is written on its north wall, which some read as the year it was built and others as the year of its first repair.[1] The hall has stairs on all four sides. It has three doors to the east, two to the west and seven windows on each side. Twelve eight-sided wooden columns hold up the roof. The inside walls are plain, without murals, while the outer faces of the doors and windows are carved with gilded scenes from the Reamker, the Khmer Ramayana. Large stone sima, the markers that bound the ordination hall, stand around its base.[1]
The APSARA National Authority, which manages the Angkor area, has repaired the Wat's old buildings while keeping their original form.[4]
Religious life
As of 2025 and 2026, the abbot was Preah Kru Dhammavisuddhi Rangsei Lach Chantha.[5][6] The Wat organizes processions through the town on the main Buddhist holy days. On Meak Bochea, February 12, 2025, about 5,000 monks, officials, students and lay people walked from the Wat along the Siem Reap River and the main streets of the town.[2] The Wat held the procession again with the provincial administration on February 2, 2026.[7] On Visak Bochea, May 1, 2026, lay followers offered food to 170 monks in the morning and a procession went through the town in the afternoon. At night the Wat lit 2,570 lamps, with sermons and chanting until dawn.[6]
Young men ordain at the Wat each year. On June 29, 2025, 36 novices received full ordination as monks, a custom the Wat had kept for five or six years.[5] On July 26, 2026, 23 young men were ordained, 14 of them as monks.[8]
In January 2026 the abbot, the Wat committee and lay followers installed a bronze Buddha image 9 m (30 ft) tall, in the gesture of abhaya mudra (reassurance), in front of the vihara. With its base it cost more than US$70,000. The Wat's vinaya master (the monk in charge of monastic discipline), Venerable Lom Loeum, describes it as the largest bronze Buddha image in Siem Reap province.[9] On May 31, 2026, the community gilded the image's lotus throne ahead of a ceremony to consecrate it.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 AMS Khmer Civilization, ព្រះវិហារបុរាណវត្តដំណាក់ (undated)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kampuchea Thmey, វត្តដំណាក់ខេត្តសៀមរាប ប្រារព្ធបុណ្យមាឃបូជា ដោយមានព្រះសង្ឃ និងពុទ្ធបរិស័ទចូលរួមជាង៥ពាន់អង្គ/នាក់ (February 12, 2025)
- ↑ Krorma Magazine, センター・フォー・クメール・スタディーズ (January 24, 2014)
- ↑ Kampuchea Thmey, វត្តចំណាស់ៗអាយុរាប់រយឆ្នាំនៅតំបន់អង្គរ ត្រូវបានការពារមិនឲ្យរុះរើសង់ថ្មី (May 12, 2026)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 AKP, វត្តដំណាក់បានរៀបចំបំបួសកុលបុត្រចំនួន ៣៦រូបជាភិក្ខុភាវៈតាមទំនៀមរបស់វត្ត (June 29, 2025)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 AKP, វត្តដំណាក់ ក្រុងសៀមរាប ប្រារព្ធពិធីបុណ្យវិសាខបូជា ដោយមានការដង្ហែរក្បួននៅតាមដងផ្លូវសំខាន់ៗក្នុងក្រុង (May 1, 2026)
- ↑ AKP, ពុទ្ធបរិស័ទយ៉ាងច្រើនកុះករបានចូលរួមដង្ហែបុណ្យមាឃបូជា ដែលរៀបចំដោយវត្តដំណាក់សហការជាមួយរដ្ឋបាលខេត្តសៀមរាប (February 2, 2026)
- ↑ AKP, វត្តដំណាក់រៀបចំពិធីបំបួសកុលបុត្រចំនួន ២៣រូប ជាភិក្ខុ និងសាមណេរ ដើម្បីលើកស្ទួយព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា (July 26, 2026)
- ↑ AKP, វត្តដំណាក់ តម្កល់ព្រះពុទ្ធបដិមាទ្រង់អភ័យ មុទ្រៈធ្វើអំពីស្ពាន់ ដែលមានកម្ពស់ខ្ពស់ជាងគេក្នុងខេត្តសៀមរាប ជាចំណែកមួយទាក់ទាញ់ទេសចរវត្តអារាម (January 14, 2026)
- ↑ AKP, វត្តដំណាក់និងក្លាយជាវត្តអារាមទេសចរណ៍ដំបូងគេនៅខេត្តសៀមរាបដែលមានព្រះពុទ្ធបដិមាស្ពាន់កម្ពស់៩ម៉ែត្រ ទឹកមាសសុទ្ធសម្រាប់ជាទីសក្ការ និងទាក់ទាញភ្ញៀវទេសចរ (June 1, 2026)