Wat Ounalom

"This is a major religious centre and is located next to the Royal Palace. The buildings are very interesting and the history of this place is fascinating and heartbreaking. It was not one of the most interesting pagodas or centres that we visited in Cambodia. But a beautiful landmark, from where you can explore the city."

The Wat Ounalom is the headquarters of the Patriarch of Cambodian Buddhism. The temple (wat) is located in the city of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. With the construction of the temple complex (several doubt the date) started in 1443 and includes 44 buildings. There is little doubt about the age of the temple.
The pagoda is spread over three floors and has a very interesting collection of beautiful paintings and cultural relics, which shed light on the life of the Buddha.

The patriarch and other important monks in Cambodia are living in this temple. On the second floor of the main building is a statue of Samdech Huot Tat, who is the fourth patriarch. He was murdered by the Khmer Rouge. The picture of him was taken in 1971, when the patriarch was 80 years old. He was thrown out by the Khmer Rouge in the Mekong, where his body was later recovered. On the third floor is a marble Buddha statue which was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge, but has now recovered.

Behind the main building is a 500-year old stupa, which is said to contain a hair from the eyebrow of the Buddha. This stupa dating from the Angkorian period. This stupa also contains four bronze statues of Buddha in a sitting position, each oriented in a different direction. On the walls are some figures of Hindu gods - the main images of Vishnu, Garuda (mythical bird) and Yama on his buffalo.
This temple was the first, which was restored after the reign of the Khmer Rouge.

Samdech Huot Tat

 

In the early 1970s there lived more than five hundred monks at the pagoda. There was also the library of the Institut Bouddhique housed, which was subsequently destroyed by the Khmer Rouge, along with many of the buildings.

This pagoda is located close to the Tonle Sap River, near the Royal Palace. The area has a friendly atmosphere and tourists often stroll in this serene, natural setting. This pagoda is the headquarters of Cambodian Buddhism. The Wat Ounalom or Ounalom Pagoda is one of the most important pagodas in Phnom Penh. It is the headquarters of the Buddhist patriarchate of Phnom Penh. The Wat Ounalom was one of the first five monasteries, which were built in Phnom Penh.