The Kathina organized by the Royal Government of Cambodia departed Phnom Penh very early morning of Monday November 4 for a Khmer pagoda in a southern province of Vietnam.  

The procession of the Kathina or Buddhist robe offering festival left the headquarters of the Cambodian People’s Party in Phnom Penh. The procession was led by Preisdent of the Cambodian Red Cross Committee, Samdech kittipritbandit Bun Rany, the wife of the President of the Senate, Samdech Techo Hun Sen. Many senior officials of the Senate, the National Assembly and the Royal Government joined the Khatina procession. The procession went to Poh Kiri Vongsa pagoda, in Ngai Xuyen Commune, Tra Cu district, Tra Vinh province of Vietnam.

In a recent social media post, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said that the festival was to show the unity of Khmer people, as “Khmer Leu, Khmer Kandal, and Khmer Krom are all one. That is why the Kathina ceremony was named the ‘Great Unity Family Kathina,’ where all Khmer citizens, regardless of their political affiliations, can join together.”

He further said on his social media post that the ceremony this year would fulfil a long-standing ambition for the Cambodian leader. He highlighted that since 2012, it has taken 12 years to formally realize the dream of organizing the Kathina ceremony for Khmer Krom people.

He noted that his wife, Samdech Bun Rany, has long envisioned bringing the ceremony to the Khmer Krom.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen recalled some circumstances that caused the event to be delayed, including the passing of his father in 2013, and later, the pause was extended due to the illness and subsequent death of his mother-in-law in 2020.

He said that in 2024 his wife revived the idea of holding the Kathina ceremony at Khmer Krom temple.

The Kathina ceremony, an offering of robes to Buddhist monks, is an important event of Theravada Buddhism. Each year, from the 15th day of the 9th lunar month to the next full-moon day, Theravada Buddhist Khmer people joyfully celebrate the Kathina ceremony to pray for happiness, peace, favorable weather, and a bumper crop by offering robes and other items to Buddhist monks.

By H.E In Chhay!