Cambodian Buddhists have started to make offerings and pray as part of the annual rituals for the Pchum Ben festival.

The main part of the festival will be celebrated next week, when there are three days of public holidays, but the actual festival runs for 15 days, from September 6 to 20.

Many return to their home provinces during the public holidays.

The festival, also known as the Day of the Dead or Ancestors’ Day, is celebrated at pagodas across the country.

While Pchum Ben is  unique to Cambodia, there are merit-making ceremonies that can be closely compared to it in Sri Lanka, and it even resembles the Taiwanese Ghost Festival.

Pchum Ben is one of Cambodia’s most important religious festivals, and as in the Khmer New Year, it’s a time to return home and to be with family and friends.

• Tags: Buddhists, Day of the Dead, offerings, Pchum Ben