A visit to Cambodia is not complete without seeing the royal palace and the grounds surrounding it. The place offers an insight into the past of the glorious kingdom that it was. You can see various beautiful structures inside the palace grounds which also include the Silver Pagoda. The grounds also contain a lot of temples. The gifts offered by various world leaders and exquisite murals are on show at the palace grounds.
The Silver Pagoda
The Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh dominates the palace grounds with its magnificence. It is called so because of the silver tiles that cover the floor. Five tons of silver is used to cover the entire floor. However, most of it is covered to protect it from damage. You can only view only a few of the five thousand gleaming silver tiles near the entrance. The original name of the structure is Wat Preah Keo which translates in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
The original construction of the Pagoda was done in wood under the rule of King Norodom in 1892. The silver tiles were laid later in the year 1962. The Khmer Rouge took great care to preserve this beautiful structure only to show to the world that it was committed to conserving the rich tradition and culture of Cambodia. The Rich Collection of Buddhas
One of the main attractions of the Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penhthat rivals the silver flooring is the Emerald Buddha that lent its name to the structure. It is sculpted in the Baccarat crystal style and is placed on a highly decorated pedestal. Though it was thought that the Buddha was made of Baccarat crystal the theory doesn’t hold water as Baccarat crystal came into existence only in the 18th century whereas the Buddha was made a century earlier. However, these theories shouldn’t come in the way of you enjoying the beauty of the Buddha.
What could probably make you more wide-eyed is the 90 kg solid gold life-size statue of the Buddha? This statue has 2086 diamonds embedded on it. The largest of the diamonds is 25 carats in weight. You can reach this area of the pagoda by climbing the beautiful Italian marble staircase. The palace grounds which house the royal palace are open to the public. Only those areas which house the royal family are kept out of bounds. The Throne Hall which has a golden spire is open to the public. The place is painted yellow and white. Yellow represents Buddhism which is the main religion of the Cambodians. Hinduism, which was the religion during the period of Angkor rule is represented by the white color.
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