Po Nagar Cham towers
Po Nagar Cham temple complex belongs to
Khanh Hoa province, was built between 8th and 11th centuries by the
Cham people who once ruled the central plain of
Vietnam. The Cham people,
who were Hindu in origin, had their own Sanskrit-based script. They are
renowned for their skills in sculpture and architecture and left behind a
legacy of artifacts and temple settlements not only in Vietnam, but also
Cambodia and Thailand.
In the 14th century, the Kingdom of Champa fell into the hand of the
invading Viet, whose descendants are today the Vietnamese people. A small
minority of Cham people, now an ethnic minority, still live in the central
plain somewhere near
Danang. Although most Cham people have converted to
Islam, they still worship their gods at Po Nagar Cham Towers during annual
religious festival of Thap Ba, which falls around the end of April and the
beginning of May.
Po Nagar Cham Towers were built to honour the goddess Po
Nagar- literally translated as 'The mother of the Country' -who is said to
have taught agricultural and weaving skills to the Cham people. Later,
historians have come to identify Po Nagar with the Hindu goddesses
Bhagavati, the wife of Shiva, and Durga, the buffalo-demon slayer. The
towers of Po Nagar Cham are square red brick structure with protruding
support frames and tapering roofs. There were once ten buildings, each
dedicated to a different deity, but now only four remain. The tallest
building, at 25 metres, the Po Nagar Kalan, is the most impressive. Here, Po
Nagar was worshipped and, according to historical stone inscriptions, animal
sacrifices were made in her honour. To the centre of the complex, stands a
tower of Cri Cambhu, goddess of fertility. The other two temples are the
shrines of the Hindu gods Shiva and Ganesh respectively. Po Nagar Cham
Towers are situated on the high ground of Mount Cu Lau on the bank of River
Cai, a few kilometres north from the city centre.
The towers of Po Nagar Cham are square red brick structure with protruding
support frames and tapering roofs. There were once ten buildings, each
dedicated to a different deity, but now only four remain. The tallest
building, at 25 metres, the Po Nagar Kalan, is the most impressive. Here, Po
Nagar was worshipped and, according to historical stone inscriptions, animal
sacrifices were made in her honour. To the centre of the complex, stands a
tower of Cri Cambhu, goddess of fertility. The other two temples are the
shrines of the Hindu gods Shiva and Ganesh respectively. Po Nagar Cham
Towers are situated on the high ground of Mount Cu Lau on the bank of River
Cai, a few kilometres north from the centre of
Nha Trang city.