If you have the opportunity to visit Ca Mau city, visitors cannot miss a spiritual tourist destination located in the heart of the city, Monivongsa Bopharam Pagoda, a Khmer Nam Bo temple with typical Buddhist architecture. Nam Tong.
A spiritual tourist destination located in Ward 1, the center of Ca Mau city is Monivongsa Bopharam Pagoda. A Khmer Nam Bo temple with typical architecture of Nam Tong Buddhism and is the largest and most beautiful temple in the city. Visiting the temple you will own yourself the fantasy living pictures like in the land of golden pagodas or Cambodia.
Monivongsa Borapham Temple location
Go to the South Pole, remember to visit Khmer Monivongsa Borapham Ca Mau pagoda located in ward 1, Ca Mau city (Ang: @baoohoang)
Monivongsa Borapham Ca Mau pagoda is located in ward 1, Ca Mau city, Ca Mau province, where the convergence of cultural and spiritual elements of the Khmer people in Ca Mau City. Monivonsa Bopharam Temple, identified in Pali – Sanskrit, and takes the meaning from the Buddhist scriptures, translated into Vietnamese can understand the Lotus Temple – Lotus Temple.
About Khmer Monivongsa Borapham Ca Mau pagoda
Monivongsa Bopharam Temple was built in 1964 by the Venerable Thach Ken stood up to appeal to the Buddhist monks to contribute. Monivongsa Bopharam Temple has an area of about 230 square meters, including the main hall, the sala, the houses of the monks, the tower for the remains, the shrine, the lotus pond …
Red and bright yellow are the two main tones in the entire architecture of the temple (Photo: @huysieupham)
Red and bright yellow are the two main colors in the entire architecture of the temple. Two colors represent luck, blessing. With the dome soaring, each column has the image of a fairy standing in the dome. The embossed figures appear alternately and throughout each architectural array.
The main gate of the temple turns to the east. Above is the picture of 3 towers representing the Three Realms or the Three Jewels, decorated with many sophisticated patterns. 100 meters from the gate is a temple grounds surrounded by trees. A Khmer temple usually has a main gate and many side gates expressing the wide-door thought of welcoming pilgrims and tourists. This is also a common feature of the Khmer Nam Bo temples.
The large temple campus, with many trees, lotus pond … is very poetic and quiet (Photo: @ mars.nlee)
When entering the Khmer Monivongsa Borapham Ca Mau pagoda , the most impressive impression is the “giant” Buddha statue lying across the pagoda’s courtyard, showing somewhat of the majesty and magnitude of the temple. The lying posture of the Buddha is uniquely designed, with his right hand gently resting his head, and his face is serene, giving off a relaxed freedom.
The large temple campus, with many trees, with lotus pond … is very poetic and quiet. Especially impressing visitors is the scene of hundreds of pigeons hovering, perched on curved roofs, making the space of the temple more intimate. Here, you feel like being poured out of all the sorrows of life, feeling incredible peace.
The main hall is 32 m high, located in the center of the campus, facing the east, with steps from the ground leading to the main hall 1.5 m high. The outside of the main hall is surrounded by a corridor, inside are two high columns that support the roof of the pagoda with many layers, creating a space soaring, then forming a sharp peak symbolizing the Tudi mountain of the house Buddha. Observed on the columns are reliefs of fairies and monsters. According to the philosophy of the Khmer, these are challenges for Buddhists on the path of cultivation of righteousness.
Here, you feel like being poured out all the sorrows of life and feel incredible peace (Photo: @ yenkim90hn)
On the dome and stairs of the pagoda are engraved with snake-shaped motifs because they think that the Buddha’s compassionate and blissful heart tamed this dangerous animal.
Architecture of the Khmer Monivongsa Borapham Ca Mau pagoda is characterized by national culture
Entering the main hall, a very special point is the frescoes painted on the walls with the main content of telling the life of Buddha Shakyamuni from birth until his enlightenment. story to discourage people from committing evil and doing immorality in life.
The architecture of the temple is characterized by Khmer ethnic culture (Photo: @ptmtuyet)
In the middle of the main hall of the Khmer Monivongsa Borapham Ca Mau temple, there is an altar with a large Buddha statue sitting in the center, the two sides are decorated with a Naga snake statue protecting the meditating Buddha. Below the altar are Buddha statues in various poses representing previous incarnations of Buddha. Buddha altar is decorated with many meticulous patterns and sculptures.
Sala (Phuoc Xa) is the synagogue of monks and Khmer Buddhists. In the Sala room, there is a Buddha altar and seats, where devotees discuss and prepare before going to the main hall for the ceremony. Sala walls and ceilings are also decorated with elaborate motifs and frescoes.
The temple gate has a bold architecture of the Khmer ethnic identity (Photo: @toanvotg)
Monivongsa Bopharam Temple has a cremation area with a simple architectural crematorium, located far from the temple center. The tower to the remains was built in the temple grounds, around the main hall is a very sacred place to worship collective remains.
Another impressive work in the temple is a cluster of statues about the life of the Buddha from birth to adulthood, enlightening the life of a person with birth, old age, illness, and death. The cluster of statues with the image of people, the “giant” carriage was made very uniquely, meaningfully occupying a prominent position right next to the temple hall.
Some note when going to Khmer Monivongsa Borapham
When entering Buddha’s ceremony, visitors must put personal items such as baskets, hats, slippers, and shoes outside, go barefoot in the hall to worship the Buddha. After the Buddha ceremony, visitors can walk in the temple grounds with many green trees, lotus ponds … admire the tranquil scenery or play with hundreds of gentle pigeons and comfortably feed them.
When entering the Buddha’s ceremony, visitors must put personal items such as bags, hats, slippers, and shoes outside, go barefoot in the temple to pay homage to the Buddha (Photo: @tinhtungtang_)
Every year on the Buddha bathing holidays on August 30 and September 1 of the lunar calendar or the festivals of the Khmer people such as Chl Chnam Thmay, Sene Đolta, Ok Om Bok … local people come to the temple to worship and organize have fun, attracting many tourists to attend.
Such festivals usually last for many days and take place all night with exciting activities such as kicking balls, throwing weights, net dancing, hiding towels, blindfolding, catching goats, fighting, tug of war, releasing sky lights …
Visitors to the temple not only enjoy and attend traditional cultural and cultural activities of the Khmer but also experience the food here (Photo: @ baoohoang)
Visitors to Monivongsa Bopharam temple on festivals can not only enjoy and attend traditional cultural and cultural activities of the indigenous Khmer but also experience the food that the people bring to the temple, in the air jubilantly through the night all morning.
In addition to the main task of carrying out religious activities, the pagoda is also a cultural and educational center for the Khmer living around the area. In the pagoda, there is a school teaching Khmer words, teaching Kinh …, is the place to keep the collection of folk tales from past and present, the traditional cultural capital of the indigenous Khmer.
With unique cultural features, it can be said that Monivongsa Borapham Ca Mau Khmer pagoda is a place to preserve the unique cultural values of the Khmer in Ca Mau, the temple as a charm of the southernmost city always welcomes visitors. guest. If you have the opportunity to visit the southernmost land of the country, remember to visit this unique temple.
Photo: Internet