Wat Preah Keo Morakot is located in the southern portion of the Royal Palace complex. The pagoda was formerly known as Wat Uborsoth Rotannaram because it is where the King worshiped, prayed and practiced every Buddhist Silas Day. In addition, the royal family and officials also held Buddhist ceremonies there.
This pagoda has no monks. However, his Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk lived there for one year when he entered the monkhood on July 31, 1947. Because the pagoda has no monks, visitors usually refer to it as Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot. When the King celebrates Buddhist ceremonies, monks from other pagodas such as Wat Unaloam and Wat Botumvattey are invited to attend the ceremonies.
Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot was built between 1892 and 1902, during the reign off King Norodom, but at that time it was constructed of wood and brick. Its design is based on Cambodian architectural style. The Banhchos Khan Seima ceremony was held on Feb 5, 1903.
The temple was later damaged, and Queen Kosamak Nearyrath asked that it be repaired. Under the direction of her son Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, who at that time was the head of state, the old temple was dismantled and reconstructed in 1962 on the same site with reinforced concrete. The floor was laid with silver tiles, and the columns were covered with glass stone imported from Italy. The architecture, however, remained the same.
There are 1,650 art objects housed in this temple. Most of them are Buddha figures. They are made of gold, silver bronze and bother valuable materials. Some are decorated with diamonds. They are gifts from the King, the royal family, dignitaries and other people who worship at Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot, where they pray for peace and prosperity, for happiness and for the preservation of Cambodian cultural heritage for the next generation.
In front of the throne, sits a Buddha statue made of gold, weighing 90 kilograms (about 200 pounds) and decorated with 2,086 diamonds. The biggest diamond is on the crown. It is 25 millimeters. This statue was commissioned in 1904 by King Sisowath, following the suggestion of King Norodom. King Norodom said, after his body was cremated the gold casket should be melted to make a Buddha statue representing Preah Srei Araymetrey. This Buddha statue is named Preah Chin Raingsei Rachik Norodom.
Object of particular interest in the Preah Vihear Preah Keo Moratkot include:
- Thee Preah Keo Morakot, the Emeral Buddha, which sits atop a throne in the center of the temple.
- There is a small glass cabinet that contains what Buddhists believe are ashes of the Buddha. The ashes were brought from Sri Lanka in 1956 by Samdech Head Monk Lvea Em, who stayed in Wat Langka in Phnom Penh.
- In a nearby cabinet sits a gold Buddha figure offered by Queen Kosamak Nearyrathm, mother of King Norodoom Sihanouk, in 1969. This Buddha figure is protected by naga (a mythical serpents usually with three, five, seven or nine heads). It represents when thee Buddha stayed at the Muchalonti Pond.
- Objects in other cabinets are the keepsakes and decorated objects for royal and Buddhaist ceremonies.
The temple is surrounded by a lofty gallery. On the wall of the gallery, there are traditional paintings of the entire Ream Ke epic. These paintings were done by 40 Cambodia artists between 1903 and 1904 under the direction of Oknha Tep Nimit. The ream Ke painting is 642 meters long and 3 meters high. It starts from the south of the eastern gallery and winds its way around the gallery. This means that visitors must walk in a circle to see the entire story.
The ancient epic Ream Ke along the gallery shows a unique scene not copied completely from Indian Ramayana. Because some plots of Cambodian Ream Ke are so mysterious, visitors must look at the painting carefully. Visitors who are familiar with India Ramayana will understand the Cambodian Ream Ke easily, even though the two version are different. Some themes are also depicted by La Khon Khaol (the male opera) or depicted in Sbek Thom (the big leather puppets) and other sculpted figures. Astrologers also use the story to tell fortunes.
Weather, structural damage and destruction by visitors over the years have caused the paintings to deteriorate. In 1985, the Cambodian government was cooperating with the government of Poland to restore, protect and maintain the paintings. The venture lasted only five years, however, because the budget was terminated. Today the Cambodian government is looking for way to conserve, restore and maintain this cultural heritage.
Monks from Phnom Penh and other provinces once studied the Pali language in classes that were held along the gallery before the Pali school was opened in Phnom Penh on Dec 16, 1930.
In front of Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot, are two stupas and a statue under the roof. The south stupa holds the cremains of King Ang Doung, the great-great grandfather of King Sihanouk. The north stupa holds the cremains of King Norodom, the great grandfather of King Sihanouk. Both stupas were dedicated on March 13, 1908.
The statue of King Norodom riding a horse was erected in 1875. It was the keepsake of the French King Napoleon III. It was kept in front of Preah Vihear Preah keo Morakot in 1892, but at that time there was no roof. During King Sihanouk’s crusade to win independence from France, he prayed in front of the statue. After Cambodia won its independence on Nov 11, 1953, King Sihanouk had the roof built in honor of King Norodom.
South of Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot beside Thamma Hall, a place for praying, and the stupa of King Sihanouk’s father, King Norodom Soramrith, which was built in 1960, visitors will find:
· Keung Preah Bat
Keung Preah Bat houses the footprints of four Buddhas who have already reached enlightenment. Those Buddhas are Kok Santhor, Neak Komonor, Kasabor and Samonakodom. In addition to the four Buddhas who have reached enlightenment, there is one Buddha, Preah Srei Araymetrey, whom Buddhists believe has not yet been born. They believe that he will come 5,000 years after the fourth Buddha reaches Nirvana. Buddhists believe that Preah Srei Araymetrey will come and help the people.
· Phnom Khan Malineati Borapat Kailasha
Phnom Khan Maliineati Borapat Kailasha or Phnom Mondul is the manmade hill that represents Phnom Kailasha, where the Buddha left his footprints on the stone. On the Phnom Mondul, there is a statue of the Buddha and 108 small figures describing the 108 blessing of life before the Buddha reaches enlightenment.
· Kunthabopha stupa
Kunthabopha stupa was built in 1960 as the resting place for the ashes of Princess Norodom Kunthabopha, the daughter of King Norodom Sihanouk. She was 4 years old when she died of dengue fever. The stupa’s design is based on the ancient Banteay Srei temple in Siem Reap.
West of Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot is a bell hall. The bell is used in various ceremonies and to mark opening and closing of the Silver Pagoda. In the past, the bell was also used to call the monks who studied Pali in the palace. To the north, is a building that houses Tipitaka (is a Pali word, meaning “Three Baskets” Tipitaka was translated in Khmer called Kumpi Preah Trail Beydok, which contains 110 books and 84,000 Thamma Khan, teachings of the Buddha) the fundamental scriptural canon of Buddhism.