Musicians serenaded visitors as they all eagerly awaited the infamous bloodthirsty demon Reakjasa Devi. Legend has it that the demon arrives at 14:00 on the dot. At 14:01, deputy mayor Mak Vansitha offered alms to keep Reakjasa Devi happy. These came in the form of lotus flowers, lighted candles, fruit, rice-cakes and cash.
Afterwards, chanting monks sprayed scented water over the visitors to hopefully provide them with luck over the coming 12 months. In the grounds surrounding Wat Phnom, games organised by city authorities seemed to delight participants and audiences alike.
One of these required blindfolded contenders to try and smash a hanging clay-jar with a long bamboo pole. If successful, talcum powder exploded in all directions. This game and sack races drew large crowds of spectators.
Most Southeast Asian Buddhist nations stage New Year festivities and rites in mid-April. Chaul Chnam Thmey is the Buddhist New Year in Cambodia and it is celebrated between 13 and 15 April.
Phnom Penh temple stages New Year rites
News in Asia
On Tuesday afternoon, residents of Phnom Penh flocked to Wat Phnom to celebrate the arrival of the traditional New Year. Officials at the Cambodian capital’s iconic temple estimated that upwards of 1,000 people joined in the time-honoured rites and festivities designed to usher in Chaul Chnam Thmey.