Wat Langka in Phnom Penh

Travel Location Phnom Penh

A colourful Buddhist temple, offering free one-hour Vipassana meditation sessions in its central vihara at 6pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and on Sunday morning at 8am. Warning: if you’ve never done it before, an hour will seem like an eternity, so it’s acceptable to just do 20 or 30 ...

OVERVIEW

One of the more prominent wats in Phnom Penh thanks to its location off Sihanouk Boulevard near the Independence Monument, Wat Langka is really of only passing interest to the typical traveller, although it is an historically important temple for Cambodians and a popular one for VIP ceremonies of various kinds.

Video Travel Inspiration

Wat Langka is one of oldest pagodas in Phnom Penh funded in 1442. It was established as a sanctuary for the Holy Writings and a meeting place for Cambodian and Sri Lankan monks. The Pagoda was named in honor of these meetings. Langka Pagoda was used as a storehouse during the Khmer Rouge era and therefore manage to avoid total destruction.
The temple still plays an important role in Cambodian Buddhism and many of the monks here are highly regarded teaches.
Wat Langkar is located on Preah Sihanouk Blvd, just southwest of the Independence Monument.

You can tell when something VIPish is happening as they'll close the roads in the area, causing complete chaos. Toward the rear of the compound, by the entrance on Pasteur Street, note the beautiful cannonball flowers growing out of the tree trunks which resemble giant Venus flytraps.

Khmers are suspicious of these flowers and allow them to grow only at temples and the Royal Palace. It is believed a broth made from their petals is a helpful tonic for pregnant women. The monastery is said to have originally housed an order from Sri Lanka -- hence the name.

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