| type="text/javascript"> | | | | area. |
| The Wat Ounalom or the Ounalom Pagoda can be | | | | Yet throughout all this, through all the ages of time, |
| regarded as the most important pagoda in all of | | | | the ounalam (a hair from the Buddhaâs |
| Phnom Penh, since it is the headquarters of the | | | | Eyebrow), which is the central feature at the wat, |
| Buddhist patriarchate of Phnom Penh and was also | | | | remains intact at a large chedi (a type of building) |
| the home of the Buddhist Institute and library until | | | | behind the primary pagoda. The wat gets its name, |
| 1999. Wat Ounalom was one of the five initial | | | | Ounalom because of this feature. Within the chedi are |
| monasteries to be built in Phnom Penh, way back in | | | | four sanctuaries with the most venerated one facing |
| the year 1422 during the reign of Ponhea Yat. Before | | | | east. Within this sanctuary is placed a bronze Buddha |
| 1974, the pagoda housed over 500 Buddhist monks | | | | statue. The vihara was created in 1952 and is only |
| and also the library of the Buddhist Institute which | | | | open to monks in the early morning. It is built on |
| had a collection of over 30,000 titles. The library was | | | | three floors and holds a statue in memory of |
| unfortunately destroyed with many other buildings | | | | Samdech Huot Tat, the revered fourth patriarch of |
| during the years of the Khmer Rogue. The Institute | | | | Cambodian Buddhism who was murdered by the |
| is now re-established and was moved to the | | | | Khmer Rouge. |
| Sihanouk Boulevard, where it enjoys a much larger | | | | |