Bon Om Touk
Bon Om Touk | |
---|---|
Official name | Khmer: ព្រះរាជពិធីបុណ្យអុំទូក បណ្ដែតប្រទីប អកអំបុក និងសំពះព្រះខែ (The Royal Boat Racing Festival, Lanterns Floating, Taste the Ambok and Worship the Moon) |
Also called | Bon Om Touk Cambodian Water Festival |
Observed by | Cambodians |
Significance | Marks the Cambodian Water Festival |
2023 date | 26–27–28 November |
2024 date | 14-15-16 November |
Frequency | annual |
Related to | Loy Krathong (in Thailand and Laos), Il Poya (in Sri Lanka) Tazaungdaing festival (in Myanmar), Boita Bandana (in Odisha, India) |
Bon Om Touk (Khmer: បុណ្យអុំទូក, Bŏn Om Tuk, lit. "Boat Racing Festival"), also known as the Cambodian Water Festival, is celebrated in late October or early November, often corresponding with the lunar Mid-Autumn Festival. It marks the end of the monsoon season. The festivities are accompanied by dragon boat races, similar to those seen in the Lao Boun Suang Huea festival.
The festival is celebrated over the span of three days and commemorates the end of the rainy season,[1] as well as the change in flow of the Tonlé Sap River.[2] The festival attracts several million people each year.[1][3] Some activities that take place at the festival are boat races along the Sisowath Quay riverfront, fireworks, and evening concerts.
Overview
This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2021) |
The festival's celebrations occur over the span of three days, with the Royal Boat Race taking place on the first day. After the boat race, large lanterns are released as part of the "Bondet Bratib" ceremony at 6:00 pm as representatives from national institutions pray for peace from Preah Mae Kongkea or the
The goddess originates from
The second day of the festival is the day of Og Ambok and involves the worship of the Moon. It takes place at twelve minutes past midnight and involves a lantern lighting ceremony with prayers to Preah Purthisat, who invented the legend of the Moon rabbit. The Og Ambok ceremony involves playing a group game where members must make each other laugh; whoever lasts the longest wins and decides the loser. The loser must then eat Ambok with bananas until the end of the day.
On the last day, a ribbon is cut, signifying the end of the boat race and the Water and Moon Festival.
Royal Boat Racing Festival (Om Touk)
Historical event
Boat racing is believed to have been celebrated in Cambodia since at least the reign of
Literary record
According to the record of Thach Pen alias "Piko (Pang Khat)" from the
The naval boats were divided into three groups:
- Group 1, called the "Toap Srouch", or vanguard, with boats shaped like modern racing boats called Ngor boats.
- Group 2, called the reserve army, with two rows of rowing boats shaped like modern stand racing boats.
- Group 3, called the Bassac Troops, was a large, very long open boat with a roof across the front, oars, and sails, shaped like the Bassac boat, called the Pok Chay boat. The boat was only used at night with lanterns, as a food supply boat for the army, delivering rice from Kampong Chhnang to Kampuchea Krom in Preah Trapeang Province until the Cambodian navy won.[6]
After his victory, concurrent with the crowning of King Ang Chan I in 1529 AD, he celebrated the Bondet Bratib ceremony every year with candles at night to commemorate the victory over the
French protectorate
As early as 1873, depictions of a Cambodian racing boat appeared in the French publication Le Magasin Pittoresque, and in 1887 the French magazine Les Colonies Françaises dedicated several pages to the meaning of the Water Festival. The festival had been celebrated occasionally after Phnom Penh became Cambodia's capital in 1866 during the French Protectorate period.
After World War II, the Water Festival was also celebrated in Phnom Penh in 1945, and then in 1953, after the Independence of Cambodia from France. In the 1960s, the scope of the festival grew with double the number of boats participating in the Phnom Penh boat racing festival compared to prior years. The festival was suspended during the Cambodian Civil War,[11][12][13] but has been celebrated since the 1993 General Election supervised by UNTAC, until now. However, it has frequently been suspended because of incidents, natural disasters, and most recently because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[14]
Dancing on the racing boats
The art of dancing on the bow of a boat has been around for many years. Locals believe it represents a boat keeper's soul or a boat spirit, which may be the spirit of the person who took care of the boat. The tradition of having women dance on the bow of the boat continues to this day. Boat bow dancing also features a man representing the boat's coxswain shouting for his team to operate in unison to reach their destination. Racing boats are always painted with eyes, which give the impression of the boat being alive, and represent dragons floating on the water.[15]
Winners of boat race (2010-2020)
The boat race ranking in the Royal Water and Moon Festival, and awards by the King of Cambodia.[16]
Year | Rating | Boat's name | Boat's capacity | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | — | Water Festival suspended due to COVID-19 outbreak | — | — |
2020 | — | Water Festival suspended due to COVID-19 outbreak | — | — |
2019 | No. 1 | Saray Decho Sen Chey | 77 people | Kandal Province
|
2018 | No. 1 | Koh Kae Sen Chey Baramey Preah Ang Khmao | 77 people | Preah Vihear Province
|
2017 | No. 1 | Saray Decho Sen Chey | 77 people | Kandal Province
|
2016 | No. 1 | Kdam Brai | 64 people | Kampong Chhnang Province
|
2015 | — | Water Festival suspended because the water level was too low. Political demonstrations were also suspected as a reason for the cancellation.[17] | — | — |
2014 | No. 1 | Srey Sros Kien Chrey Baramey Decho | 75 people | Kampong Cham Province
|
2013 | — | Water Festival suspended due to national election | — | — |
2012 | — | Water Festival suspended due to death of King Norodom Sihanouk | — | — |
2011 | — | Water Festival suspended due to deadly crowd crush on Koh Pich Bridge in 22 November 2010, which took the lives of 350 people.
|
— | — |
2010 | No. 1 | Prithea Char Moha Decho Sen Chey (Enemy Pepper) | 72 people | Kampong Cham Province
|
Festival of Illuminated Floats (Bondet Bratib)
Bratib (ប្រទីប)
"Bratib (ប្រទីប)" refers to lanterns and lamps. In Khmer, small lamps without glass are used: light lantern frames or
- In the Trāyastriṃśa, the paradise of the 33 devas
- In Nāga or Dragon World
- In Kandy, at Sri Lanka
- In Dantapuri, at Danthavarapukota India
This festival
Differences between Loy Bratib and Loy Kantong
Kantong (កន្ទោង)
កន្ទោង /kɑntouŋ/kantong/[20][21] Small container made of banana leaves (used esp. for steaming cakes or as a container for religious offerings such as food, tobacco, or betel).
Kantong is a Khmer word referring to "a container made from leaves" and widely used by Khmer people in their daily life and rituals. Kantong dates back to the
Festival of Og Ambok and Sampeah Preah Khae
Og Ambok
Og Ambok | |
---|---|
Og Ambok (Khmer: អកអំបុក, IPA: [ʔog ɑmboːk]) is a traditional flattened rice dish that forms part of the Bon Om Tuk ceremony. During the festival it is traditional to eat Ambok with coconut juice and banana.[22]
Og Ambok is made by frying rice in its natural husks, then beating it in a pestle until soft before the husks are removed and mixed in with banana and coconut juice for flavor. This mixture is eaten when the clock strikes midnight or when the incense offered at the beginning of the gathering is consumed. Og Ambok remains a popular traditional dish and it is sold widely during the Bon Om Touk festival.[23]
The Legend of Og Ambok
The Og Ambok ceremony's history dates back many years. It is believed that in the reign of King
Indra
On the second day of the Royal Water Festival, there is a special commemoration to Lord Indra. The reversal of the Tonle Sap river suggests why a parallel could be drawn between the Khmer people and Lord Indra. Indra is the one who releases the water from the winter demon. This is the most common theme of the Rigveda concerning Lord Indra: he as the god with thunderbolt kills the evil serpent Vritra that held back rains and thus releases rains, nourishing rivers.[26] For example, the Rigvedic hymn 1.32 dedicated to Indra reads:
इन्द्रस्य नु वीर्याणि प्र वोचं यानि चकार प्रथमानि वज्री । |
Let me tell you the manly deeds of Indra, which he first accomplished, bolt-weaponed, |
—Rigveda, 1.32.1–2[27] |
Dal Ambok
During the ceremony, four or five punchers are assigned to help and two or three rookers are in each group. Assemblers are assigned to collect Angre mortars and search for shredded wood. Normally, at Moha Ambok, 30 to 50 mortars are used to make this a solemn ceremony. Participants at the event are organised into groups of 8 or 30 people. The Og Ambok ceremony is performed when the Moon is straight or when the Moon is directly overhead. The young men approach the central table and dance in groups lined with lanterns. A woman collects the Lombok and pours the bus into the man's mouth. The official calls Og Ambok repeatedly asking, "Is it full?" The participants continue to chant until the end of the Moon worship. The significance of the Og Ambok ceremony is to confirm the abundance of food stored throughout the year.[29]
Legend of the Cheadok: The Moon Rabbit
In the Buddhist Jataka tales called Cheadok in its Khmer version, Tale 316 relates that a monkey, an otter, a jackal, and a rabbit resolved to practice charity on the day of the full moon (Uposatha), believing a demonstration of great virtue would earn a great reward. According to the Khmer version of the popular legend in the Sovannasam Cheadok (ជាតក), this rabbit is called Pothisat. Every full moon, this holy rabbit would offer his life to someone who wanted to become a Buddha. One full moon, the god Indra found out and tested the animals about this. He presented himself under the appearance of an old Brahman of Hinduism, and asked the rabbit called Sasabandit for food. The rabbit did not have much food and he agreed to give his life to the old Brahman for food. But the old Brahman said, "This rabbit has observed moral precepts for a long time, so he cannot be killed." Then the rabbit told the old man to make a fire, and then jumped into the fire to kill himself so that the old man could eat him. But before he jumped into the fire, he quietly wished that he could stay alive. Later the old Brahman transformed himself into Indra and said that pure alms-giving is a virtue. Indra called to the Goddess Ganga to make the image of the rabbit appear in the Moon forever after his death. According to this legend, the rabbit can still be seen on the surface of the Moon.[30]
Salutation of the Moon: Sampeah Preah Khae
The Sampeah Preah Khae (Khmer: សំពះព្រះខែ, IPA: [sɑmpeəʰ preəʰ kʰaːe]; "Moon salutation") is a Buddhist religious festival which is dedicated to the Moon and coincides with the Royal Water Festival. Sampeah Preah Khae takes place on the last day of the Royal Water Festival. Cambodians usually set up an array of offerings in the form of fruits that are popular with rabbits, such as Ambok, banana, coconut, yam, sweet potato and drinks. They light incense in front of their homes at night before gathering at pagodas at midnight for the third ceremony, Ak Ambok[31] where they remember the life of Pothisat the moon rabbit. Once consumed, adults usually take a handful of ambok to feed it into the mouth of younger children as a sign of care and goodwill. While holding their noses, children open their mouth and look at the Moon, usually making a wish, to remember the generosity of the altruistic rabbit as a model. Apart from these domestic rituals, Khmer people usually enjoy gambling as a group during the festival.[32]
The full moon determines the date of the entire festival. Cambodian people celebrate these two festivals around this time because this is also when bananas, coconuts, yam, and sweet potatoes are in abundance.[33] After the Sampeah Preah Khae ceremony, devout Buddhists gather at a pagoda at midnight for the rites associated with Ak Ambok.[34]
History of the dragon Makor
Makor is a
Since no one was able to subdue the monster, Shiva came down to face the Makor, promising the Ganges that if the god Shiva could catch the monster, she would marry him. "Preah Eyso" as Shiva also came down to face "Makor" for many days, still not knowing how to win or lose.
"Kongkea" also told "Eyso" that if you want to subdue me, you can only lift me up and put me on the palm of your hand and the goddess "Kongkea" used her hair to drop into the water to suck out all the water and leave it alone on land. The Makor, which was an aquatic animal, turned into a Singha as a lion's foot. Shiva, with great weight, sat and pressed on the beast, unable to withstand the weight of him. "Makor" was willing to surrender to Shiva due to the ferocious power of the beast. Shiva held the animal's mouth into the
Program
The Royal Water Festival, which lasts for three days, was recorded for the first time under the reign of King
Classification of the dragon boats
It is difficult to make a precise list of the various dragon boats involved in the race. The earliest French documents show boat carvings from the temples of Banteay Chhmar and the temple of Bayon. Khmer architecture is used to design various types of boats, such as:
World's longest dragon boat | |
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- The Makaraboat
- The Nāga boat
- The Five Head Naga boats
- The Elephant boat
- The Crocodile boats
- The Hanuman boat riding giant
- The Suvannamaccha boat or Mermaid boat
- The Hang Meas (Khmer Golden Phoenix-like Bird) boat
- The Peacocks boat
- The Garuda boat
Recent history
Phnom Penh resumed Water Festival celebrations in 1990,[36] following a 20-year break under the Lon Nol regime and then the genocidal Khmer Rouge. A few of Phnom Penh's many foreign residents started to participate in the featured boat races in the mid-1990s, though in the first year of participation, their boat capsized along with two other teams in the wake of a larger ship.[36] In 2008, five rowers drowned, and in 2009, a rower drowned during the boat races.[37]
The celebration turned tragic in 2010, when thousands became trapped and a
Phnom Penh authorities came under fire in 2016 for sanitation, after videos of cleaning crews sweeping trash into the Tonle Sap incited anger on social media.[40]
Upriver dams and a devastating drought in 2019 brought the Mekong to its lowest level ever recorded. The combination has left the Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia's largest fresh-water lake, in crisis. The reversal of the Tonle Sap river lasted just six weeks, which may have consequences on fishing in the region.[41]
See also
References
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- ^ Eng Soth (1969). Moha Boros Khmer volume-1-7. eLibrary of Cambodia (published 29 August 2014).
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- ^ "Cambodia stampede: swaying bridge blamed for panic". The Guardian. Associated Press. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ Vichea, Pang (16 November 2016). "Video shows workers sweeping Water Festival trash directly into Tonle Sap". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "The Lake That Feeds The Mekong Basin Is Facing A Shortage Of Fish". NPR.org.