Wat Phnom
| Wat Phnom | |
|---|---|
| Khmer name | វត្តភ្នំ |
| Also known as | Mountain Pagoda |
| Site type | Temple |
| Location | Daun Penh, Phnom Penh |
| Country | Cambodia |
| Period | Completed in 1372 |
| Subjects | Religion & Spiritual Life; Community & Civic Life |
Wat Phnom is a temple in Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Wikipedia)
History
According to legend, in 1372, a wealthy old lady named Penh found four Buddha statues and one Vishnu statue in a Koki tree floating in the river. Penh and the villagers built an artificial hill and a small wooden temple to house the statues, and monks named the hermitage Wat Phnom. After King Ponhea Yat moved his court to the confluence of the Tonle Sap River in 1397, he ordered the construction of a hermitage hut near Wat Phnom, and a large stupa was built for him at the top of Wat Phnom after his death. (Wikipedia)
Significance
Wat Phnom is a Buddhist temple featuring a pagoda, a stupa symbolizing the name of Phnom Penh, and a historical site that is part of the Khmer national identity. The temple contains a central altar with a large bronze seated Buddha and murals depicting Jataka stories and stories from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana. A shrine dedicated to Lady Penh is located at the southwest corner of the temple and stupa, where the faithful bring prayers and food offerings. (Wikipedia)