This festival, known as the Royal Plowing Ceremony, or Bon Chrat Preah Nongkoal, is a significant event held annually in May in Phnom Penh. It is deeply rooted in Cambodian culture and serves as a traditional ceremony to mark the beginning of the rice-growing season while seeking blessings for a bountiful harvest.
During the festival, a mesmerizing ritual takes place, centering around the symbolic plowing of a field by royal oxen. This act is accompanied by enchanting music, captivating dance performances, and solemn religious ceremonies that add to the overall grandeur of the event.
The ceremonial plowing of the field by the royal oxen not only symbolizes the preparation of the land for cultivation but also represents the close connection between the monarchy and agriculture in Cambodia. It is believed that the oxen’s behavior and the crops they choose to eat during the ceremony can predict the upcoming harvest’s abundance, thus adding an element of anticipation and excitement.