Wat
Wat Khmer Khemararam
វត្តខ្មែរខេមរារាម
Wat Khmer Khemararam (វត្តខ្មែរខេមរារាម) is a Khmer Theravada Buddhist temple on Howard Avenue in Des Plaines, Illinois.[1][2] Also known as the Cambodian Buddhist Temple, it is a temple and community association run by the Cambodian Buddhist Association, and it serves the local Cambodian American Buddhist community.[1][3][4]
History
For many years the Cambodian Buddhist Association, listed in 2011 as Wat Khemararan, was at 1258 West Argyle Street in the Argyle Street area of Chicago's North Side. Listings at the Chicago and Des Plaines addresses give the same association name and the same federal employer identification number.[5][6][2][7][8][9] At the Argyle Street site, its stated mission was to provide a place for meditation and the teachings of the Buddha.[5]
Sources give two founding years. A 2011 Chicago community directory gives 1984, and a donation profile gives 1986, the year the IRS recognized the association as tax-exempt.[5][4][9]
The temple now occupies a campus in Des Plaines that the Cambodian Buddhist Association owns. For 50 years the site had been home to the First Presbyterian Church of Des Plaines.[1][10]
The temple
The buildings still look like a Protestant church of their era. The community has added Buddhist art on the outside walls so that the buildings read as a Buddhist temple. An outdoor shrine with several Buddha images stands under a protective trellis and can be seen from the street. American, Cambodian and Buddhist flags fly at the temple, and the sign and front door carry Khmer script and English. The campus has a parking lot and a large kitchen for communal meals.[1][10]
Religious life and community
The temple follows Theravada Buddhism. It holds religious ceremonies and celebrations through the year, especially around major events in the life of the Buddha, Bon Kham, Pchum Ben and other Buddhist holidays. The community holds events around num banhchok (Khmer noodles) and other Cambodian food.[1] A 2026 directory of Khmer temples in the United States lists five monks.[11] In 2021 the temple held no public Cambodian New Year event, and individuals and families visited on their own time.[12]
The association offers cultural classes every Sunday from September to June. They cover the Khmer language (speaking, writing and customs), Dhamma lessons, and traditional Khmer dance and music.[4]
The association files annual federal returns as a tax-exempt nonprofit. Recent filings list Pheatarak Sok as president. For the fiscal year ending December 2024 it reported $83,583 in contributions and $1,444,042 in total assets.[13]
Visiting
As of September 2026 the temple is open every day, Monday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.[3]
Associations
Cambodian Buddhist Association Inc
(property owner).[14]
Legal name: Cambodian Buddhist Association Inc.
Registration identifiers: EIN (United States): 36-3379165.
The profile explicitly describes the temple site as owned by the Cambodian Buddhist Association. The organization also appears in the nonprofit registry-derived listing.[13]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Religions in Chicagoland, Cambodian Buddhist Temple, Des Plaines (2024)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wat Khemararatanaram, Khmer temples in Illinois (2024)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Google place listing, Cambodian Buddhist Temple (viewed 2026-09-22)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Zeffy, Cambodian Buddhist Association donation profile
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Asian American Institute, Chicago Asian American community directory (2011)
- ↑ University of Illinois Chicago, faith-based organizations directory (2021)
- ↑ iMahal, Buddhist places of worship directory
- ↑ Cause IQ, Cambodian Buddhist Association
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 GrantedAI, Cambodian Buddhist Association Inc.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Religions in Chicagoland, Converted Spaces (2024)
- ↑ Cambodian Buddhist Temples in the USA directory, B.E. 2570 (2026)
- ↑ Chicago Asian Network, Cambodian New Year Celebration Events
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Cambodian Buddhist Association Inc
- ↑ Religions in Chicagoland, Cambodian Buddhist Temple, Des Plaines