The Sacred Furrow: The Royal Ploughing Ceremony of Cambodia

The Sacred Furrow: The Royal Ploughing Ceremony of Cambodia

The Sacred Furrow The history, rituals, and royal prophecy of Cambodia's Royal Ploughing Ceremony. Chapter One: The Ancient Covenant: The History and Sacred Purpose of the Ceremony The Royal Ploughing Ceremony, known in Khmer as Preah Reach Pithi Chrot Preah Neangkol (ព្រះរាជពិធីច្រត់ព្រះនង្គ័ល), is one of the most ancient and significant ceremonies in the Cambodian royal calendar. It is a magnificent ritual, traditionally presided over by the King himself, that marks the official beginning of the rice-planting season. This is far more than a symbolic gesture; it is a sacred covenant, a powerful and time-honored rite designed to harmonize the kingdom with the celestial powers, to appease the spirits of the earth, and to secure the blessings of a bountiful harvest for the entire nation. The history of this ceremony is a story of the kingdom itself, a ritual whose layers of meaning reveal the deep animist, Brahmanic, and Buddhist foundations of Cambodian culture. The Animist Roots: Appe…