P HO GIANT BUDDHA STATUE
Coming to Botum Vong Sa Som Rong Pagoda (Ward 5, Soc Trang City, Soc Trang) on a weekend, we were overwhelmed by the number of Buddhists and tourists coming to visit and worship. The most prominent were the young women wearing sarongs and ao tam vong - the traditional costumes of the Khmer people. In their colorful and sparkling costumes, they performed some graceful Rom Vong dance movements. Most of these girls were Kinh people, coming from Hanoi, Can Tho, Hau Giang, and Ho Chi Minh City. They wanted to transform into Khmer girls to fit the context of the temple with the most magnificent architecture in the West.
The reclining Buddha statue is 63 m long, 22.5 m high, and placed 28 m above the ground.
For a long time, Som Rong Pagoda has been the pride of the local people and is increasingly known by many tourists. The pagoda is famous for the largest statue of Buddha Shakyamuni in Vietnam. The reclining Buddha statue, 63 m long, 22.5 m high, placed 28 m above the ground, is painted in two main colors, white and light blue. Below is the space for monks to live and study. The head and body of the Buddha are exquisitely crafted, with a benevolent and kind face. The closer you get to the statue, the smaller you feel.
The best time to visit the temple is in the evening. The sunset is covered with a brilliant orange-yellow color, making the Buddha statue magical. At this time, the rare 1-storey, 1-storey sala in the West also appears most majestic and splendid. The most impressive part is the sala roof with many small roofs competing to shine golden, reflecting light like a castle in a fairy tale. On it is a statue of Buddha standing on nine dragons with the meaning of saving all living beings.
Ancient Khmer pagodas not to be missed when traveling to the West
The stupa covers an area of 100 m2 , about 25 m high, with 4 entrances representing the gates of love - compassion - joy - equanimity. Each entrance is decorated with a statue of the snake god Naga and embossed patterns of traditional Khmer culture. In the center is a statue of Buddha Shakyamuni painted in red and gilded, facing east.
The stupa has two floors: the upper floor holds the ashes of the monks and abbots of the pagoda; the lower floor holds more than 400 jars of ashes of those who could not afford to build their own stupa. The unique feature of the stupa is that it is painted in gray (yellow is traditional - PV ), giving it a fresh look while evoking the ancientness of a monolithic stone. This is a highlight that everyone does not want to miss when coming to Som Rong Pagoda.
The stupa has the most unique architecture in the West.
A PAIR OF 4.2 KG STONES FLOAT ON THE SURFACE OF WATER
Venerable Lam Binh Thanh, Deputy Abbot of Botum Vong Sa Som Rong Pagoda, said that the pagoda was built in 1785 and has been under the care of 12 abbots. The pagoda was named after a wild plant called Som Rong, which has flowers called Botum, which grew abundantly around the pagoda when it was first established. Initially, the pagoda was built with bamboo and makeshift leaves; after many renovations, repairs, and constructions, it became as spacious as it is today. With the contributions of Buddhists, the pagoda built a stupa in 2010, a sala in 2013, and a reclining Buddha statue in 2017. Notably, in 2018, the pagoda had another important event when Venerable Ly Minh Duc (abbot of Som Rong Pagoda) invited a pair of "strange" stones from Cambodia.
To better understand the story, Venerable Lam Binh Thanh led us to the sala where the two stones were placed. The pair of stones were solemnly displayed below the Buddha altar, carefully preserved on a pedestal, lined with cloth underneath. With the naked eye, one could clearly see that the pair of stones had a unique shape, with many tiny holes spread across the surface. Next to the two stones, the temple prepared a bucket of water so that everyone could experiment and verify. When the pair of stones were put into the water, pressing down hard on the bottom, the stones still floated. When dropped vertically or horizontally, the stones did not sink.
Talking about the "history" of this pair of stones, Venerable Lam Binh Thanh said that in 2018, Venerable Ly Minh Duc visited a temple in Siem Reap (Cambodia) and a local woman said that she owned a pair of stones that never sank in water. Finding it strange, he went there to see and asked to buy them, but the woman did not sell them but donated them to the temple. The pair of stones weighed 4.2 kg and was brought to the temple by Venerable Ly Minh Duc at 24:45 on January 17, 2018. Some people think that this is a type of pumice stone, containing minerals because the stone has many bubbles so it is lighter than water.
Visiting the pagoda with her family, Ms. Tran Thi Lan Anh (28 years old, living in Hanoi) said: "I find it very interesting because the Khmer pagoda in the West has many unique features that other places cannot have. The pagoda is not only beautiful but also strange." ( continued )
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