Wat
Wat Khemararam (Houston)
Wat Khemararam (វត្តខេមរារាម) is a Cambodian Buddhist temple on Deer Trail Drive in north Houston, Texas.[1][2] The temple calls itself the spiritual and cultural heart of the Cambodian American community in Houston.[1]
For other temples with this name, see Wat Khemararam.
History
The temple has been listed at 9919 Deer Trail Drive since at least 2014, when a directory of Khmer temples gave it as entry 66, with the telephone number (281) 591-7270.[3] Map listings also give its name as Wat Khemararam Cambodia Buddhist Temple Inc.[2] The temple keeps an account of its founders, former abbots, major benefactors and long-serving volunteers.[1]
Religious life
Resident monks lead morning chanting and meditation at 6 a.m. and evening chanting at 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. On Saturdays there is a Dharma class for adults at 9 a.m. On Sundays morning chanting and offering begin at 8 a.m., a community Dharma talk open to all follows at 10 a.m., and a community lunch is served at noon.[1] The monks also give spiritual guidance, bless homes and businesses, hold merit-making ceremonies to honor ancestors and lead memorial services called bangskol.[1]
The temple keeps regular Buddhist observance days, such as the full moon day on August 13, 2026, and holds an annual Kathina robe offering, a Khmer New Year festival with traditional games, food, music and blessings, and Pchum Ben.[1] Ceremonies and Dharma talks are broadcast live, with an archive of past broadcasts.[1]
Community
The temple runs a Buddhist Sunday school for children, with stories, values and meditation, and weekend Khmer language classes for youth, young adults and learners of all ages. It teaches traditional dance and music, including classical Apsara dance, and offers mentoring and leadership roles for teenagers, who also help with ceremonies and festival preparations.[4] Community oral history and storytelling, and the sharing of traditional Cambodian recipes, are part of temple life.[4]
Elders find daily company at morning chanting and community meals. Volunteers arrange rides for seniors, monks visit and pray for the sick and homebound, and seniors are honored at major ceremonies and festivals.[4] Volunteers prepare the morning food offering for the monks each day at 6 a.m. and cook the Sunday community meal from 9 a.m. They also set up festivals, care for the grounds, tutor Khmer, mentor youth, and help with office work and outreach.[4] As of 2026 the temple was raising funds to maintain and improve its grounds.[1]
Visiting
Parking is available on the temple grounds, with more nearby during major festivals and Sunday services.[1] Visitors dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and remove their shoes before entering the shrine hall. Inside, people speak quietly, bow toward the Buddha image on entering the shrine hall and sit with their feet pointing away from the altar. Monks are not touched, and women do not hand objects directly to monks.[1]
See also
- Wat Khemararam (other temples with this name)
- Pchum Ben
- All organizations