Phanom Rung sunlight spectacle dimmed by thick haze of pollution
The 200 or so Thais and foreigners who woke up early on Wednesday to catch sight of the Phanom Rung morning phenomenon were badly disappointed.
Thick smog from the burning of farm waste had completely blocked the rays of the morning sun that were supposed to pierce the 15 gateways of the ancient Buri Ram temple.
People had been queuing up since 5.30am to catch sight of the sun’s rays glancing off the Shivalinga and shining through the temple complex’s 15 doorways for five minutes from 6am.
But when the clock struck 6, nothing was visible. A thick smog had completely blocked the view.
The sun aligns perfectly four times a year to shine through the doors of the temple complex, which is referred to as Thailand’s very own Angkor Wat.
The spectacular phenomenon this year has been predicted at sunrise on April 3 to 5 and September 7 to 9. A similar phenomenon takes place at sunset, and this year’s dates are March 5-7 and October 5-7. The dates change every year depending on the solar orbit.
A Thai tourist, who called herself Matthana, said this was the first time she had tried to catch sight of the spectacle. However, she said, even though she failed to see anything, she was blessed to be inside the sacred sanctuary at the time.
Staff member Banleg Kamprakhone said the sunrise and sunset spectacles usually draw some 200 to 300 visitors, and it was unfortunate that this year’s sunrise wonder was completely blocked by smog.
Phanom Rung, or Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, was built between the 10th and 13th centuries in dedication to the Hindu god Shiva. Built with pink sandstone, the Khmer temple is situated close to the crater of the Phanom Rung Mountain, an extinct volcano in the Phanom Dongrak range.
