Sunrise greeting at the first grand temple of the Khmer Empire

Mornings are the most pleasant time to visit Bakong Temple. The large stone temple gets very hot later in the day.
Bakong was the first mountain type of temple architecture design in the Khmer imperial era. It served as a state temple for king Indravarman I, in the first dedicated Khmer imperial capital at Hariharalaya.
Today this is the Roluos Group of temples east of Siem Reap City, Cambodia. Other well-known temples here is Preah Koh and Lolei.

Large Hindu influence
The temple was dedicated to Shiva, and its main consecrated image was a lingam called Sri Indresvara. This step pyramid mountain temple draws inspiration from other large Hindu temples in the region built around the same time. Most notably the fantastic Borobudur temple in Java, outside Yogyakarta.
Bakong temple was the last large construction in Hariharalaya. Indravarman’s son and heir Yasovarman I moved the capital to Phnom Bakheng in the early 900s. Bakheng Hill is just south of what we today call Angkor Thom, the big (capital) city.

For those interested in comparative historical timeline, this temple was finished as a state temple in 881CE. In Norway, the first unification of the kingdom under one superior king established the first larger Nordic kingdom.

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Food and drinks offering at Chheng Meng, Tomb Sweeping Day

Tomb Sweeping Day, “Chheng Meng” in Khmer, is a festival to honour the ancestors. The festival is of Chinese origin. Qingming is celebrated in Cambodia among the Chinese exodus, and among Khmer with intermarriage or with other strong relations to Chinese culture.
It is a celebration of spring, by honouring and remember the ancestors by cleaning and decorate their graves, pray and bring offerings of food and drink, money and high value items.
After the rites and cleaning of the graves, the Khmer family gathers for food, drinks and celebrating family, friends and neighbours at one of the family members houses. It is always a great honour to be invited to attend.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501266506/families-gather-at-cemeteries-for-tomb-sweeping-day/

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Burning gifts and wish for the ancestor’s support

Tomb Sweeping Day, “Cheng Meng” in Khmer, is a festival to honour the ancestors. The festival is of Chinese origin. Qingming is celebrated in Cambodia among the Chinese exodus, and among Khmer with intermarriage or with other strong relations to Chinese culture.
As it is a celebration of Spring, this festival is in the first week of April after the current Roman Calendar. It is not an official holiday in Cambodia, and it is often celebrated in Khmer families on one of the weekend days closest to 1st of April.
An important part is for the families to bring forth offerings, food, drink, incense, gifts and prayers for luck and support.
The burning of incense and paper gifts are burned during this festival too. The idea is that this sends gifts to relatives who have died. Burning paper items such as villas, money, household items, motorbikes and cars is the transmission of the items and materials to one's ancestors.
This will give the ancestors a better and more comfortable afterlife. In return the ancestors will give blessings and luck to the family.

https://cambodianess.com/article/reduce-paper-burning-at-chinese-new-year-experts

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Cleaning and honour the ancestors graves

Today is Chhing Ming/Qing Ming, Tomb Sweeping festival in Cambodia

Originally a Chinese festival, Tomb Sweeping day is celebrated all over Southeast Asia among ethnic Chinese and local families through intermarriage.

Its many names point to the main theme of the day is: Spring Festival, Chinese Memorial Day, Ancestors' Day, Cleaning Ancestors grave, the Clear Brightness Festival, or the Pure Brightness Festival.

It is a celebration of spring, by honouring and remembering the ancestors by cleaning and decorate their graves, pray and bring offerings of food and drink, money and high value items. After the rites at the family graves, the family gathers at one of the family members’ homes to share food and drinks and have a small party.

https://drzinasia.wordpress.com/2021/04/01/tomb-sweeping-day-chheng-meng-in-khmer-to/


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