Final farwell to King Sihanouk

Monks at the 7th say of mourning for King Sihanouk, source unknown

Its hard to really compare anything in the US to Cambodia and it's king. Today* I am giddy with the news the Barack Obama will serve a second term as president, but in a few weeks time, that sheen will wear off and it will be politics as usual in the US, and decades later historians will look back on the Obama presidency and grade his various achievements and failures with an objective view (or at least strive to). I do not view Obama as my spiritual leader, and once he is gone from office I doubt he will command much clout beside of the memoir-tour variety.

This was obviously not the case with King Norodom Sihanouk. While he held a number of political offices during his reign, he was always held in esteem by the Khmer people both as a figurehead, an advocate, and a divine presence. This was made apparent to me when I joined my friends when his body returned from Beijing, but nothing could truly prepare me for the outpouring of emotion that I witnessed on the 7th day of mourning, marking the end of the official week of grieving, if not the end for the  Khmer people (there are still mourners at the palace as I write.)

To be honest, I don't really know what the ceremony was all about besides a final, public send off for the King (that is, until his public cremation, for which they are building the pyre in front of the National Museum). But as for the order of the events, the different prayers, and the true meaning of the King's passing for the Khmer people, I'm not the person to ask. I can tell you that it was a remarkably moving and beautiful ceremony and I feel extremely lucky to have been invited by my CEDAC colleagues. In many ways it reminded me why I wanted to return to Cambodia in the first place, and what makes this country such a special place.

Instead of trying to offer a 'recap' I will offer some snap shots of the overwhelming visual, auditory, olfactory and emotional experience:

• Huge sand filled goblets servings as incense pyres flinging steady plumes of thick white smoke into the air, from which many people saw an image of the King's face just after sunset. (For the record, I am typically skeptical on these matters, but the cloud did in fact look remarkably like a face). After the sun set, the smoke starting drifting into the crowd, lending an almost expressionistic haze punctuated by faces illuminated by candles. 

Sinanouk's 'face' seen in the clouds, via KPR

• Heavy grey storm clouds approaching from the west and northeast, bringing brilliant streaks of lightening. As the sun set, coating the palace environs in Starburst worthy hues of orange, magenta, and finally faint purple, they formed almost a perfect circle over the mourners and the palace (which could have something to do with the fact that the palace is situated facing where the two arms of the Mekong, the Tonle Sap and the Bassac rivers meet [the '4 arms]). Almost immediately after the ceremony, a huge downpour soaked all the mourners stuck in traffic.  

• The current King and Queen Mother making an unannounced appearance to greet their (awestruck) people and preside over the service.

• Several thousand monks in saffron robes seated in the center facing the palace gate. Following the ceremony, they walked back to Wat Ounalom through a pathway formed by people kneeling in prayer. 

• Beautiful, uniquely Khmer, traditional mourning songs preceding 20 minutes of silent meditation. Many people in the crowd cried softly.

• While much of Cambodia and particularly Phnom Penh could be considered 'organized chaos', I was impressed by the respect that mourners showed to each other, with groups giving free water and snacks, and others giving up their seats for the elderly. During the 20 minutes of silent meditation, there wasn't a single camera flash or ringtone.

• The Royal Palace itself, rising tall above portraits, incense, and pyramids of lotus bouquets. Throughout the service, it was illuminated by spotlights and white trim lights. Earlier in the evening, it appeared golden and glittering under the rays of the setting sun, until finally turning a brilliant, almost pastel yellow in the dark.

*This all happened in mid-October. I've been busy at work and had a hard time finding the best way to write about this.