Silver Pagoda

Cambodia's Royal Palace compound in Phnom Penh is home to several amazing buildings and shrines, but the place that really took the cake was Wat Preah Keo Morokat, which translates as 'The Temple of the Emerald Buddha'. However, it is more popularly known as the Silver Pagoda here in the west.

Commissioned by King Norodom and built out of wood and brick, in the usual Cambodian architectural style, between 1892 and 1902, it was originally know as Wat Uborsoth Rotannaram because it is where the King worshiped, prayed and practiced every Buddhist Silas Day. It is also where Buddhist ceremonies were held by the royal family and other officials. Unlike most pagodas no monks ever lived here, however, King Norodom Sihanouk lived there for a year when he entered the monkhood in 1947. In 1962 it was torn down and rebuilt out of concrete and Italian marble.

Walking up to this large and beautiful structure I was anxious to see what an authentic emerald Buddha looked like and what other treasures were inside. Just before entering I had to go through, what by this point in my trip had become very familiar, the ritual of taking off my sandals and finding a place to store them. Entering the pagoda, my eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness, and then I was overwhelmed by the over 1650 cultural and religious treasures that were stored inside. This large collection of riches is the main reason this pagoda was untouched by the Khmer Rouge. They could see how this collection could be used for propaganda purposes. However, there were 3 main things that captured my attention and wouldn't let go.

First, there was a life sized Buddha in the middle of the room weighing in at 90 kilograms (about 200 pounds) of pure gold. Called the Buddha Maitreya (Buddha of the Future,) it was commissioned in 1904 by King Sisowath and is covered with 9,584 diamonds. The largest diamond, at 25 carats, is in the crown, how ever the one in the chest is only slightly smaller coming in at 20 carats. I stood in front of it for what seemed like hours memorized by its beauty and opulence.

Behind that was the small 17th century "Emerald Buddha" of Cambodia sitting on a gilded dais above all others in the temple. It is said to be made of emerald or baccarat crystal.

Finally, I learned why it's called the 'Silver' Pagoda. The floor is covered in 5329 handcrafted silver tiles. Added during the reconstruction in 1962, each one weighs in at about 1.125kg (close to 2.5 pounds). Only a small section of the floor is visible while the rest is protected by carpet. I did, however, manage to position myself so that I could take a couple of steps, with my bare feet, on the silver tiles, and let me tell you, it was quite a sensation.

Unfortunately, photography is prohibited so I was unable to capture the spender, but I did manage to find an image online that must have been taken when only flash photography was banned.