PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) -- The remains of the late Cambodian King Father Norodom Sihanouk was interred in a stupa in the Royal Palace's Silver Pagoda on Saturday -- the last day of an elaborate three-day ceremony.
As Buddhist monks chanted prayers and a 101-gun salute was fired, Sihanouk's widow Queen Mother Norodom Monineath and his son, current King Norodom Sihamoni, as well as Prime Minister Hun Sen and other participants marched Sihanouk's ashes around the stupa three times before interring them in it.
Then, they gave alms to 90 Buddhist monks inside the palace, while civil servants and citizens provided offerings of food to 3, 600 monks outside the palace.
Sihanouk died of illness at the age of 90 in Beijing on October 15, 2012 and his body was cremated in Phnom Penh in February last year, after which some of his remains were scattered at the confluence of the four rivers in front of the Royal Palace, in line with his wishes.
The rest of his ashes were kept in two diamond-studded gold urns and one marble urn.
At his request, his ashes were interred in the stupa alongside the remains of his favorite daughter, Princess Kantha Bopha, who died of leukemia in 1952 at the age of 4.
The late monarch reigned over Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his voluntary abdication in 2004 in favor of his son, King Norodom Sihamoni.
He was named as the King Father of Independence, Territorial Integrity and National Unity. He was the king who led Cambodia to gain full independence from the French protectorate in 1953.
As Buddhist monks chanted prayers and a 101-gun salute was fired, Sihanouk's widow Queen Mother Norodom Monineath and his son, current King Norodom Sihamoni, as well as Prime Minister Hun Sen and other participants marched Sihanouk's ashes around the stupa three times before interring them in it.
Then, they gave alms to 90 Buddhist monks inside the palace, while civil servants and citizens provided offerings of food to 3, 600 monks outside the palace.
Sihanouk died of illness at the age of 90 in Beijing on October 15, 2012 and his body was cremated in Phnom Penh in February last year, after which some of his remains were scattered at the confluence of the four rivers in front of the Royal Palace, in line with his wishes.
The rest of his ashes were kept in two diamond-studded gold urns and one marble urn.
At his request, his ashes were interred in the stupa alongside the remains of his favorite daughter, Princess Kantha Bopha, who died of leukemia in 1952 at the age of 4.
The late monarch reigned over Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his voluntary abdication in 2004 in favor of his son, King Norodom Sihamoni.
He was named as the King Father of Independence, Territorial Integrity and National Unity. He was the king who led Cambodia to gain full independence from the French protectorate in 1953.
