The wat or Buddhist temple next door is undergoing an almost complete renovation. As you can see they have gutted parts from floor to ceiling. But it continues to be a working monastery and the monks are using every bit of space to continue their lives, their studies and their work. Obviously a monk has used the gutted frame of this room to hang his laundry. This simple cloth is all monks wear other than a pair of boxers, loincloth or tighty whiteys for modesty. They have two robes to allow them to do their laundry which given the heat must be done every day or every other day.

The wat are not simply temples but huge complexes with stupa (monuments to the lives of monks or other individuals whose bones or relics are housed within) and various study and domitory complexes for the monks as well as kitchens if the monks conduct charity work with the homeless or poor. In the case of Wat Onalam, the one around the corner from me widows live in the complex and carry on their daily lives from within the walls. This particular wat also has a garden statuary describing the early experiences of Siddharta Gautama before he became the Buddha. (see my January posts by following the links on the left hand navigation bar here.)

The monks and others are working 24 hours a day repainting murals, resculpting a number of statues that have gone into disrepair, and rebuilding the structures that were added after the wat was walled in. Normally this particular complex has electricity only in specific locations. Now the buildings are lit well into the night. Must be hard on the widows.

By the way, in Cambodia widows by tradition shave their heads before their husbands' funerals and wear only a simple black skirt and blouse. Many are destitute since their primary income provider is now gone. So Wat Onalam and many others provide a living place and a reasonable income for them.