Holy Relics Arrive in the Kingdom

Thousands of monks and followers gathered at Oudong’s Athareus pagoda on Sunday to welcome the arrival of what they believe to be remains of the Lord Buddha, Ministry of Religions and Cults spokesman Seng Somony said. He added that the government had not been made aware of the items and could not confirm their authenticity. Mr. Somony happened upon the procession at Athareus while inaugurating a new monastery, he said.

“Both events happened smoothly at the same time. We saw monks from Sri Lanka participate in our inauguration of the new monastery too,” he said. Although Sunday’s celebration was not officially recognized by the government, Mr. Somony said he respected the freedom to worship for all Cambodians.

Cambodia is already home to verified remains of the Buddha after a 1951 agreement with the Indian government saw them transported here. The Buddha was said to have passed away in May 483BC. His death is still celebrated the world over by Buddhists, who make up 95 percent of Cambodia’s population.

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