Painted faces, drum beats: Cambodian villagers dance for rain at annual ceremony

Faces painted, hundreds of villagers danced to traditional Khmer drum beats in an annual ceremony praying for rain, peace and prosperity in a Phnom Penh village on Thursday (May 21).

This ritual, marked as a two-day ceremony, has been celebrated for several hundred years by villagers during the beginning of rainy season - as farmers prepare to plant rice, one of the most water intensive crops.

Youths dressed as the spirit gods they were honouring, while others rode horses and bikes as they made their way to the shrine of Neak Ta Pring Kaek, a local deity.

At the shrine, villagers lit incense sticks and offered fruits, food, soft drinks and alcohol as part of their prayers for health and well-being. 

Though marked in almost every village throughout the country in ancient times, the ceremony has become rarer.

Cambodia relies heavily on agriculture, fisheries and forestry for livelihoods, with more than 60% of its population living in rural areas.

Production: Chantha Lach/Reuters