The Royal Government has been granted approval by the King of Cambodia to annually magnificently celebrate the Royal Plowing Ceremony "Preah- Reach-Pithi-Chrot-Preah-Neangkol" (Khmer: ព្រះ រាជ ពិធី បុណ្យ ច្រត់ ព្រះនង្គ័ល) at Mehru Square, adjacent to the North of the Royal Palace. The event was held on 4th Roch, Month of Visak, Lunar Calendar, falling in May 21st, 2011.
On twenty second of May 2011, I was at rice file near Cambodia Royal Palace and in front of National Museum where all people, such as foreigner, journalist, student, monk, police, officer of senates and national assembly, especially king Norodom Sihamoni and farmers from over Cambodia are together with smile. Among them, my mother and I joint this event since 6:30 AM to nearly 1 PM. I wished to post it since that day, but because of daily activity to earn money, I cannot do that.
The Royal Oxen was happy to eat only Beans, Corn, and grass. This is showed that this year Khmer People who is farmer will worry about his animal get sick and about rice having not eaten is the imagination of shortage of food. By having interview with one foreigner, Japanese, 34, Akono said "This is a good ceremony that will make farmer know what is happening this year and they will get ready to do what they wish on his rice." He added next year if I have time, I will come again. The Royal Plowing Ceremony is an ancient royal rite held to welcome the beginning of rice-growing season; Farmers shall prepare for their agricultural activities such as: sowing seeds and growing rice, corn, bean, sesame etc. Beside these activities which have been shown as the symbol of farming by Sdech Meak and Preah Mehour, court soothsayers make a prediction on whether the coming growing season will be bountiful or not depending on what the Royal Oxen eat among many agricultural products. Next, the soothsayers pray for a better weather with regular seasonal rainfall, particularly that all kinds of natural disasters be away from people’s land fields as well as the whole nation.