Originally founded in 1422 by King Ponhea Yat (1405-1467), Wat Botum is one of Phnom Penh's five original wats. It is known as the ‘Temple of the Lotus Blossoms’ because the original site was a small island surrounded by a lotus-filled pond. Wat Botum took its current name in 1865 and has been extensively rebuilt over the years, most recently in 1937. The wat compound contains many decorated stupas, some of which contain the ashes of royalty. Wat Botum is the seat of the Thammayut (royalist) Buddhist sect, the smaller of the two main Buddhist sects in Cambodia which was introduced from Thailand in 1864 and gained prestige because of its adoption by royalty and aristocracy.