Phnom Penh, Sep 21 : Cambodia on Sunday began to celebrate the three-day traditional Pchum Ben festival, or Ancestor's Day.

In a special video message, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Pchum Ben festival is a Cambodian tradition that has been observed annually since ancient times, Xinhua news agency reported.

"It is an occasion that the Cambodian people are engaged in alms-giving and merit making in order to dedicate to their relatives and loved ones who had passed away," he said. "It is also a joyful occasion for family reunions."

Pchum Ben festival is the second-biggest celebration for Cambodian people after the Lunar New Year.

During the celebrations, the Cambodian Buddhists go to pagodas and make offerings to monks in order to dedicate to their deceased relatives and loved ones.

They believe that everything they offer to the monks will reach their dead ancestors or relatives and in return, the dead will bless them with good luck.

Buddhists account for approximately 95 per cent of the kingdom's population of 17 million, according to the Ministry of Cults and Religions.

During the holiday, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers leave the capital, Phnom Penh, for their hometowns in various provinces across the Southeast Asian country.

Hun Manet said on the occasion that the Phnom Penh City Bus Authority has arranged 597 buses to transport people to and from their hometowns for free of charge from September 20 to September 25.

"The free bus services aim to facilitate people's travel and help reduce travel costs for them," he said.

Cambodia had also provided free bus service to transport people to their hometowns for the Pchum Ben festival, or the Ancestor's Day, in 2024, which was celebrated from October 1 to 3.

At the time, Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Khuong Sreng had said that on the advice of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, a total of 653 buses had been arranged to give free rides to anyone traveling from the capital Phnom Penh to their hometowns and vice versa.

/IANS