Cambodians pay respect to dead relatives in Pchum Ben festival
Published : Sep 27, 2018, 12:48 pm IST
Updated : Jul 6, 2019, 3:32 pm IST
Cambodians began their traditional 15-day Pchum Ben festival to pay respects to deceased relatives. (Photos: AP)
A Cambodian woman prays with burned incense sticks during celebrations of Pchum Ben, or Ancestors' Day, at a Buddhist pagoda, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
A Cambodian man prays with burned incense sticks during celebrations of Pchum Ben.
Devotees light candles and incense sticks during celebrations of Pchum Ben, or Ancestors' Day, at a Buddhist pagoda.
The day is a time when many Cambodians pay their respects to deceased relatives of up to 7 generations. Monks chant the suttas in Pali language overnight (continuously, without sleeping) in prelude to the gates of hell opening.
A dancer dressed in traditional costume performs during a charity event celebrating Pchum Ben.
Pchum Ben is considered unique to Cambodia, however, there are merit-transference ceremonies that can be closely compared to it in Sri Lanka.
A woman pulls her cart loaded with scraps collected from neighboring villages outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018. Cambodians continuing their traditional 15-day Pchum Ben festival to pay respects to deceased relatives.