Phnom Penh – A City which rose like a Phoenix !!!

 

Have you ever experienced happy as well as depressing thoughts  at the same time while visiting a destination?

The capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh is the place !!!

Situated at the confluence of the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Tonle Bassac rivers, this beautiful city was once a major trading center due to its strategic importance.

Peeping into the pages of history, the Khmer administration in Angkor was troubled by the constant invasion of enemies located in the neighboring Ayutthaya.  Angkor was not proving very effective geographically for trading. So the Khmer rulers shifted their capital to the central part of the country at the confluence as the site was good for future trade with countries like China, Indonesia. This happened during the fifteenth century. This shifting result was least expected. The temples in Angkor region were completely forgotten in the coming centuries.

In the sixteenth century, this country came under the patronage of France. In the 19^th century, a French explorer Mr. Henri Mouhot ‘re-discovered’ Angkor. Despite gaining independence from France in 1953, the US-Vietnam War had an adverse effect on Cambodia. There has been some peace since UN intervention at the end of the 20^th century.

Today Phnom Penh is a modern city. It is a great experience to see the Independence Monument,  the National Museum, the Russian market, the King's palace and the 'White Pagoda'. Statues and relics during the Angkor Khmer reign excavated from all over the country are very well preserved in the National Museum. I was delighted to visit the museum at Siem Reap and equally delighted to see the sculptures here at Phnom Penh. A pleasant experience for anyone interested in the history.

While visiting the National Museum, you notice the Indian culture impact on the prevalent art of the Khmer Empire. Here you will be amazed to see statues of Shesha Shahi Vishnu, Ganesha, Gautama Buddha. The depiction of the Ramayana in the 'Mural' form on the side walls of the 'White Pagoda' temple complex is praiseworthy.

Once  you pay a visit to the 'Tuol Sleng Genocide' museum and 'Choeung Ek Killing Fields', that depressed feeling creeps in. But still, its necessary to pay visit to at both these places. They bear witness to the barbarism done by the  Khmer Rouge regime. They killed thousands of innocent people during Pol Pot's 1975–1979 rule.

Once upon a time there used to be a school, but Khmer Rouge converted it into a prison. In this prison, the people - children, old or young, men or women were imprisoned and tortured.  Later they were taken to the place about 6-8 km from the city and killed. Once the Khmer Rouge was overthrown came out the gruesome reality as the burials were found.

This place outside the city is known as 'Choeung Ek Killing Fields'. There is a

memorial / stupa inside the complex which houses the remains of the dead. Here, information about that bloody history can be obtained through pictures in a gallery. A small film is also shown. Today while walk taking a walk here gives you an eerie feeling. But once you are here in Phnom Penh, it is compulsory to visit and pay your respect to the dead people.

The civil war during the Khmer Rouge regime also affected the Angkor heritage. Many idols and temples were destroyed. The survived idols are very well preserved in the museum.

I had earlier told you about the survivors of the landmines while giving information about the Siem Reap. Today, once you visit the 'Tuol Sleng Genocide' museum, the information is given by the guides who were once prisoners here but survived the suffering, the torture, to tell you stories of that gruesome period.

This unforgettable black spot in the history of Cambodia is of great concern for the new and old generations. Millions of tourists come from all over the world to see Angkor heritage and also enjoy the evening boat cruise on the  Tonley Sap  river in Phnom Penh.

Today, Cambodia and its capital Phnom Penh is presenting a perfect example of survival in the adverse circumstances…… Rising like some Phoenix from the ashes !!!

 

Amit Naseri

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