The 100 Column Pagoda, Kratie is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the quaint town. The town of Kratie is the capital of Kratie Province in Cambodia. This beautiful town is located by the Mekong River. A group of rare Irrawaddy Dolphins can be found in this stretch of the river. These are the main attractions o this town. According to studies, there are only 170 dolphins left here in the upper Cambodia Mekong area. Amidst these settings, The 100 Column Pagoda, Kratie makes for a wonderful tourist destination.
The 100 Column Pagoda is one of the top tourist attractions in Kratie. It is also known locally as the Sar Sar -100. The 100 Column Pagoda in Kratie is situated at Sam Bor District. This lies 36 kilometers off the town along the National Road No. 7 in the north. There are special features of The 100 Column Pagoda, Kratie. The pagoda was built on the site of the Royal Palace Temple of Sam Phu Bo Rak Capital of Chen la time. There are 4 Buddhist temples facing the 4 directions here. These are,
- Vihear Lao facing West
- Vihear Sar Sar -100 facing North
- Vihear Kork Keut facing East
- Vihear Kork facing South
Of the last, only the base and the mark are left. A four day festival is normally held during the Khmer New Year, celebrated by people living in the former Sam Phu Bo Rak Capital area. They start at The 100 Column Pagoda, Kratie first and end at the Vihear Lao.
The 100 Column Pagoda, Kratie was constructed in 1860. It measures 30 meters by 30 meters. This was thatched by Preah Ang Chan Reachea II to dedicate it to Vihear Sar Sar-100. He did it to protect the soul of his daughter Preah Neang Verakak, who was swallowed by a crocodile.
The 100 Column Pagoda, Kratie is different to the other temples as it faces the north. It was struck by a lightning that destroyed 22 of its columns. The statues were also dirtied by the smoke. Due to this it was pulled down and rebuilt by the local people, the new one having just 78 columns. The temple was renovated around 1978. It now measures 35 meters in length, 18 meters in breadth and 23 meters in height, and has 116 columns. This area has the burial ground of Sey Ma, who was buried on January 14, 1998.
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