Sompot Chong Kben, Centre national de la soie des Artisans d'Angkor
Sompot Chong Kben (Khmer:សំពត់ចងក្បិន,sâmpót châng kbĕn[sɑmputcɑːŋkɓən])[1] is aunisex, lower body, wraparound cloth. It originates from ancientCambodia and was adopted in the neighbouring countries ofLaos, andThailand,[2] where it is known aspha hang (ຜ້າຫາງ[pʰȁːhǎːŋ]) andchong kraben (โจงกระเบน[tɕōːŋkrābēːn]). It was the preferred choice of clothing for upper- and middle- class women for daily wear.
Folk dance with young women wearing the Khmersampot chong kben.
Sompot Chong Kben (សំពត់ចងក្បិន)[3] is a combination of threeKhmer words: សំពត់ (/sɑmpʊət/,sampot),[4] a long, rectangular cloth worn around the lower body; ចង (/cɑɑŋ/,chang),[5] to wrap around, and ក្បិន (/kbən/,kben),[6] referring to the lower body cloth wrapped around the waist and then pulled back between the legs and tucked in at the back. The name of this cloth,kben orchong kben, literally means"to wrap or to wear the kben" in Khmer. Chong kraben (โจงกระเบน) is used among Thai people and derived from these Khmer words.
The history of Sompot Chong Kben dates back to ancientCambodia, wheredeities were often portrayed wearing such clothing. References to most Khmer elders tell a legend related to this garment. It is believed theKhmer people inFunan began wearing sompot chong kben, following theIndian traditional wear of thedhoti[7] which was imported to the Funan Kingdom by KingKaundinya I in the 1st century CE.[8] Due to Indian influence,Suryavarman II built temples such asAngkor Wat which were dedicated toHinduism. During theKhmer empire, most of the people were likely to read and see theReamker at the Angkor Wat carving on the first floor as well. Prayers and blessings were also given to adeva known asHanuman, the guard of PrinceRama inRamayana as well as in the Khmer adaptation,Reamker. To showHanuman's power Indians wore the dhoti. The Dhoti is still worn for formal and ceremonial events in mainlandSoutheast Asia.[9] InRamayana mythology, Hanuman is a symbol of bravery, cleverness, and power, so people wearing the sompot chong kben drop a tail at the back like Hanuman's monkey tail. This practice led many people to believe that all Indians were guards ofHanuman. The influence of the dhoti was strongly incorporated intoKhmer culture from ancient times to today.[10][11]
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