Witness History And Tradition At Cambodias Royal Ploughing Day Celebrations

Immersed in the new millennium and its visible progress

, it is easy to forget that Cambodia, like much of Asia is still very much an agricultural society. Complete with a calendar full of red letter days devoted to agricultural festivities, the countrys farming community is actively involved in the celebration of such festivities that date back centuries. One such anticipated event is of course the annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony which is incidentally one of the first agrarian festivals of the year.

Finding its origins in the Sukhothai period back in the mid 1200s, this historic ceremony dubbed "Preah Reach Pithi Chrot Preah Neangkol" in Khmer is rooted in the Hindu beliefs of securing a good harvest. As practiced by Brahmins for centuries past, the Royal Ploughing Ceremony is an age old royal ritual that marks the beginning of the rainy season and with it the start of the rice growing period in paddy fields across the nation. Usually held in the month of May, this ancient ceremony has remained unchanged since time immemorial when a monarch of the royal family led the nation in a ritual that precedes memory.

Taking place at Phnom Penhs Veal Preahmein Square, adjacent to the Royal Palace, the ceremony itself involves the master of ceremonies herding a group of oxen in ploughs across the sacred rice field three times before treating the animals to a feast that includes green beans, fresh grass, corn, water, rice, sesame and rice whiskey. The weather and crop predictions for the coming year are then determined by what the oxen choose to eat as soothsayers interpret their choices. A plentiful harvest is foretold if the oxen opt for cereals or grains while rain is predicted if they choose water. Bad weather and an inadequate harvest are however in store if they drink the whiskey or nibble on the herbs. As a public holiday that is attended by royals, the general public and the farming community, the Royal Ploughing Ceremony not only sheds light on future harvests and the weather but other events such as floods, famine and even illness.

Travellers on the hunt for a luxury Angkor hotel will be more than satisfied with the amenities available at Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor. Staying true to the highly regarded reputation of the Raffles Hotels, this stylish rest is a fine five star hotel Cambodia is proud to claim as one of its best.

by: Pushpitha Wijesinghe

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