Patil visits Silver Pagoda, Mahatma Gandhi statue sites in Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH - Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil visited two sites housing the famous Silver Pagoda and a bust of Mahatma Gandhi here on Wednesday morning.

The Silver Pagoda is located on the south side of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. It features a royal temple.The main building houses many national treasures such as gold and jeweled Buddha statues. It also has a small 17th century baccarat crystal Buddha, which is also known as the Emerald Buddha of Cambodia and a near life size statue of the Maitreya Buddha, which is encrusted with 2086 diamonds.

During King Norodom Sihanouk’s pre-Khmer Rouge reign, the Silver Pagoda was inlaid with more than 5000 silver tiles and a part of its fa
ade was remodeled with Italian marble. It is regarded as the official temple of the Cambodian King.

After her visit to the Silver Pagoda, President Patil visited the site where a bust of Indian Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi has been installed on Norodom Boulevard in Phnom Penh.

She paid her homage and respects at the site.By Praful Kumar Singh (ANI)