On the way to see the Irrawaddy River Dolphins outside Kratie, Cambodia, a worthwhile stop is at Phnom Sombok (seen above beyond the boat). This lone hill stands on the east bank of the Mekong River with a beautiful Wat at its summit.
I found it to be a very interesting place. It was one of the most maintained Wats I have seen, and I suspect it is so because of financial support received from several German and Australian meditation groups whose names appear posted around the grounds.
To get to the Wat complex that covers the whole summit, you climb several sets of stairs past a line of 100 statues, two Buddha and 98 monks.
The top most statues were still under construction being sculpted in place from cement by several very friendly young artists.
Between the Wat complexes, is a rather halting series of paintings.
These contemporary murals depict some of the most astonishing violence I have ever seen in Buddhist temple art. I have actually noticed that here in Cambodia, the Buddhist art often features violence. But these murals are some of the most intense I have yet seen.
There was no one around to ask for clarification, but it seems to me this is a representation of hell, and these torture scenes are depictions of what is faced by those who are not virtuous. I’m not sure why women seem to be featured so predominantly in this hell.
It comes to my mind that these scenes are influenced by the horrible violence of Cambodia’s history. It is often easy to forget that Cambodia is a post conflict, post genocidal country. With a large percentage of its current population being survivors of such dark times, this history and its influence is never far from the surface.
Thanks to Evan for being a great travel partner and for providing a few shots of me behind the camera.
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