Why is this pagoda called the Silver Pagoda? The Silver Pagoda shimmers before us. Its official name is Wat Ubaosoth Ratanaram. Locals also call it Wat Preah Keo Morakot. That means Temple of the Emerald-Crystal Buddha.
The Silver Pagoda sits on the south side of Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace. King Norodom built it in the 19th century. Step inside to discover Cambodia’s national treasures.
Many golden Buddha statues sparkle here. Jewels adorn these sacred figures. The Emerald Buddha is a small green crystal statue. Some say it is Baccarat crystal from the 17th century. Others believe Lalique crafted it in the 19th century.
King Sisowath commissioned a life-sized gold Maitreya Buddha. It weighs 90 kg. Royal regalia dresses it. Over 9500 diamonds decorate it. The largest diamond weighs 25 carats. Palace workshops created it between 1906 and 1907. Sadly after the Cambodian Civil War, many diamonds disappeared.
King Norodom Sihanouk added over 5300 silver tiles. These tiles cover the pagoda’s floor. Some outer facades were remodeled with Italian marble. Today visitors can only view a small area of the silver tiles. This protects them.
Murals surround the Silver Pagoda. Cambodian artists painted them in 1903 and 1904. Oknha Tep Nimit Mak directed the artists. The murals depict the Reamker. This is the Khmer version of the Ramayana. Statues represent the legend of Preah Ko Preah Keo.
The Silver Pagoda is an important wat in Phnom Penh. National and royal ceremonies happen here. The stupa of Kantha Bopha holds Norodom Sihanouk’s cremated remains.
King Norodom Sihanouk lived here for a year. This was during Preah Phnos’s construction. He became a monk in 1947. He used the Temple of Preah Keo Morakot for Buddhist Dharma practice. The temple was renamed Wat Ubaosoth Preah Chin Rangsey Reachea Norodom Ratanaram. This translates to Divine Dharma Pagoda of the Radiant Treasure of King Norodom.
Foreign tourists call this temple Wat Prak. This means Silver Pagoda. The 5329 silver tiles weigh over 1100 kg. The temple displays over 1600 artifacts. Gold, silver and bronze make up most of these items. Precious stones like diamonds and rubies decorate them.
The Maitreya Buddha statue is very important. It weighs 90 kg of gold. It holds 9584 diamonds. Its form resembles the Phra Bang. Legend says a Cambodian king gifted it to the Lao King Fa Ngum. This was when the Thai king invaded Angkor.
Cambodian artists painted the Reamker on the walls. They worked from 1903 to 1904. Oknha Tep Nimit Mak led them. Two sculptures represent the legend of Preah Ko Preah Keo.
These paintings tell the story of the Reamker from beginning to end. Forty Cambodian artists created the mural. Oknha Tep Nimit directed them. The mural is 642 meters long. It extends around the temple grounds. Visitors can walk around to interpret the Reamker’s story. The Reamker differs from the Indian Ramayana.
Weather, germs and vandalism damaged the paintings. In 1985, the Cambodian and Polish governments started a restoration project. However, the project ended early due to limited funds. In 2015, King Norodom Sihanouk revived the project. Cambodian and foreign craftsmen restored the paintings’ vibrancy.
Remember the Emerald Buddha. Remember the Golden Maitreya Buddha. The Silver Pagoda holds history and art. It shows Cambodia’s culture. As you leave imagine the ceremonies that happened here. Envision the artists creating the Reamker murals. The Silver Pagoda’s treasures remain.