This past weekend one of Prey Veng’s historic districts hosted one of the largest annual festivals in Cambodia, Mesar Festival. There’s a lot of Cambodian folklore and history to Mesar Festival (pronounced “Mae Sah”) which are condensed into a few bullet points below. If you’re not a story or history buff, then just start scrolling down and enjoy the photos.
- The festival is named after Lady Mesar, a folklore female demigod with a life story that reads like a cross between Bellona and Cleopatra. Lady Mesar ruled and expanded the ancient Khmer kingdom of Nokor Phnom until her death. It is said under her rule the Khmer people never suffered a defeat.
- According to French records, Mesar Festival was the last place in Cambodia humans were ritually sacrificed. Criminals were beheaded as an offering for Mesar’s spirit.
- Mesar Festival today is a 72-hour fusion of folklore, religion, tradition, and public revelry. A hermit, 108 monks, and elders from the nine communes of the district conduct their donations, blessings, offerings, and chanting under large colorful marquee tents with pennants and banners overhead.
- Mesar Festival by night–with the exception of the food–is hard to distinguish from any other large carnival or state fair. For you adventurous foodies, you can sate your appetite with durian fruit smoothies, fertilized duck eggs, sauteed insects, chicken rice gruel, and roasted birds (to name a few).
The Ceremonies
Morning of the second day. A village elder leads others in thanks and blessings to the local authorities and donors for Mesar Festival.
108 abbots and monks from pagodas around Prey Veng attended the opening ceremony of the third day.
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The monks’ procession encircled villagers along the roadside. Villagers gave donations and offerings to the monks.
The hermit (in all white), giving donations to the monks.
Giving donations to pagodas is common. The man is wishing this young donor a long and prosperous life in return.
The People
One of the various transports used to truck people around the festival
Best vantage point of the festival–on top of the Garuda’s mountain looking out towards the festival
Starting the morning off with friends and a few beers
A student group posing
Parents close your eyes. One of the seller’s children coming back from washing a couple knives
My host brother making a $.13-per-bike and $.25-per-moto killing off parking (our house is near the festival grounds)
A conscientious bike owner looking on as my host brother matches the ticket number with bike tag.
The Games
Fruit eating contest
First one to pick the rambutans and longans off the branches won.
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Same idea, different fruit. First one to the core won. Mark, one of our Prey Veng PCVs, with his competitors.
And they’re off…
… the winner…
… and Mark’s reaction to that
Jar Bashing
Two clay jars filled with talcum powder were suspended overhead. The contestant was given a stick, blind folded, then given one chance to make contact with the pot to break it.
Here’s a series from a successful whack…
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Sack Race
First one down and back won
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I got in on the action too. One of my students took this video of the race.
