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Lkhon Khol Wat Svay Andet



Lakhon Khol is a traditional theatre performance of Cambodia practiced in one community around a Buddhist monastery, Lkhon Khol Wat Svay Andet, about ten kilometers east of Phnom Penh along the Mekong River. A type of Cambodian theatre, it presents scenes from the Reamker (the Khmer version of the Ramayana) as performed by mostly masked male actors, accompanied by an orchestra and melodious recitation to protect and bless the Neak Ta (guardian spirits of the community, places, and people), thereby bringing prosperity to their lands, and harvests. The origins of the dance are unclear. In the 19th century, the palace sent talent scouts out into the provinces to find dancers who could perform lakhaoun khaol, in order to create a troupe for the dance. The dance was traditionally performed by men only but eventually became extremely popular when performed by the palace's female-only troupe. Spirit mediums participate when Lkhon Khol is performed, providing interaction between the Neak Ta, the performers, and villagers. If the spirits are satisfied with the performance, the villagers receive blessings; otherwise, the dancers stop, the music continues, and the audience falls silent, attentively listening to the spirits. Lkhon Khol’s is for ritual purposes, mostly related to the cycle of rice farming and the needs of farming communities. One of the most important nights of the three (each night performs a different episode), is the final night because the ritual asks for rain. Sometimes, on the last night, the rain will come. It has happened often enough to maintain belief in the efficacy of the ritual. Everyone attends the performance, and the element is also used in the Neak Ta rituals. Most farming villages conduct rituals annually to appease the Neak Ta by offering food and music. However, Lkhon Khol is performed at Wat Svay Andet as a special offering because it pleases the local deities. In addition, communities may request the troupe of Wat Svay Andet to perform on certain occasions to ward off diseases or calamities that have struck their communities and/or individuals. Although the element has been transmitted generation after generation, several factors now threaten its viability. These factors include environmental issues, insufficient resources, the community's economic migration, and the 14-year break caused by the Khmer Rouge regime and war from 1970 to 1984. After the war, there were eight teams of specialist theater, but now only one group is located near Phnom Penh at Wat Svay Andet. Two new troupes started, including the Kampong Thom Theater and the National Theater from the Department of Fine Arts and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

References

(https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/lkhon-khol-wat-svay-andet-01374) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakhon_Khol) (https://www.ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?nation=KH&page=1&elementsUid=13829896116948900057&mode=grid) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakhon_Khol)

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