Things to See and Do - Tbong Khmum, Cambodia

Wat Preah Theat Thmor Da Temple - Tbong Khmum

Wat Preah Theat Thma Da temple is an ancient site located in Preah Theat Thma Da village, Preah Theat commune, O'Rang Oav district, about 38 kilometers southeast of Kampong Cham provincial town. Take National Road 7 from Kampong Cham town, turn right at National Road 11 and continue on to O'Rang Oav district. The site is 8 kilometers down a dirt trail.Wat Preah Theat Thma Da temple is 190 meters long and 60 meters wide. The temple includes Preah Theat temple and a pond that is 180 meters wide and 950 meters long. The water in the pond is very clear. It is called Tonle Sa Ngout. Along the entrance to the temple is another temple called Preah Vihear Preah Chul Nipean. At one time there was a statue of the reclining Buddha reaching nirvana, but the statue was stolen.

There are a number of statues in Wat Preah Theat Thma Da that local people worship. They include statues of Atitep Vero, Kongchak, Hekpous, Srei Krupleak, Tuosmuk and Angkrong Pleung.Behind the temple there is another hall Meru Mena built during French colonial times. At the front door, there is a Meru with a lintel (a horizontal beam that supports the weight of the wall above a door) that is sculpted on sandstone. Much of it has been damaged. Inside Meru, is a sculpture of Haothi Neang Umaparvati, which the Brahmans worshiped. It is believed that if a coconut is dropped into the hole inside Meru, the coconut will appear in the middle of the pond. Meru was built was on the site of an old temple.