Wat Sisowath Ratanaram Main Hall: Maha Ummagga Jataka

CAMBODIA, Phnom Penh

Wat Sisowath Ratanaram is located south of Phnom Penh on the east side of the Mekong River. According to the inscriptions on the north pillar of the west gate, the temple was completed in 1895. The main hall, inaugurated in 1905, is decorated with murals painted by a group of artists led by the renowned Cambodian painter Tep Nimit Mak. The upper registers of the walls are covered with scenes from the Life of the Buddha, while the areas between the windows feature illustrations of Jataka tales.
The Maha Ummagga Jataka, Pali Jataka No. 546, is a long and complicated story that tells of the previous life of the Buddha as the wise minister Mahosadha in Mithila. The mural shows Mahosadha defending the kingdom and protecting the royal family from the army of the evil King Culani. On the left side of the upper register, the King of Mithila and his family ride on two ships. Below, a soldier on a white horse gallops along a forest path. On the right, the King of Mithila and his family descend into a tunnel in the middle of the courtyard of a palace. Two armies confront each other in the lower register. Mahosadha, wearing a golden crown, pretends to drop a precious jewel. When King Culani’s greedy minister Kevatta bends down to retrieve it, Mahosaddha holds him down, making it appear as if he is bowing to surrender. The mural is skillfully laid out, showing several events from the story within a single scene. The bright colors are characteristic of Cambodian paintings.