Po Nagar is a Champa temple tower on a small hill, at the foot of the bridge at Bong hamlet, 2 kilometers from central Nha Trang. Today Po Nagar Tower is a cultural and historical monument as well as a famous destination in Nha Trang which attacts many domestic and international tourists.
Once upon a time, at the Dai An mountains, Dai Dien hamlet, there was a farmer couple who were specialized in growing watermelons for sale. The watermelons were ripe and often stolen. They decided to watch for who stole the fruits. At one night, they saw a little girl about 9 or 10 years old who was picking watermelons and playing alone. They came closer and she told that she did not have a family. They decided to keep her with them like their daughter.
Time passed, the girl became mature. On a rainy day, she played with small stones, making them into 3 miniature landscapes and putting the flowers inside the landscapes. The male famer thought that her action was rude so he shouted at her . She was so sad and suddenly, she saw a wood on the river and evolved into the wood drifting along the river. She turned out to be a fairy.
The wood drifted out to sea and floated on the sea for many days and then it came to the shore next to the palace. This wood was so scented so people felt strange but no one can carry it. Everyone here talked about the strange wood so the crown prince, named Bac Hai, went to beach but the most strange thing was he could lift the wood easily. He brought it to palace and kept it like a precious thing.
At a full moon night, the moonlight illuminated his room, the prince saw from afar where put the wood someone but when he came closer , there was no one here, only smelt the scent of wood. Some days later, he watched for the wood and realized the human shadow but it disappeared when he came closer. One day he decided to hide next to the wood and he found out a beautiful girl, he immediately hugged her . They talked to each other, her name was Thien Y Ana and she was really beautiful. After that they got maried, lived happily and had one son and one daughter.
Ana still missed her hometown and her family so she brought her children to hometown . When they arrived, her parents passed away. She built their graves and renovated the house to worship. While living in the hometown, she saw people here was still poor then she taught them how to farm work, weave ...
Later , the life was more and more well being . One day, a big bird brought Ana and her children to the sky . People remembered her merit so they built a tower and a statue to worship. Every year on 23th March ( Chinese calendar), people celebrate a festival for offering her flowers.
Architecture of Ponagar tower
Ponagar tower is a community of towers which were built by Champa people , Champa culture with unique architecture. This tower was built from 8th century to 13th century. It was the prosperous time of Hindu in old Champa country. It has been located on the top of a hill 50 meters above the sea at the mouth of Cai river, it is 2 kilometers from central Nha Trang.
Tower has 3 floors:
- First floor: It had the same level with the ground , called Gate tower but now it disappears , there are only stones here.
- Second floor is Mnadapa ( living room, resting room) that has been the guests' accommodation and place forpreparing offerings. This floor is 15 meters height, 15 meters width with 4 octagonal columns ( 10 big columns and 12 small columns).
- Third floor: where towers were built under Champa architecture, bricks were connected together very tight, we could not see the material for sticking ( this is the problem which modern architects also don't know about this kind of material). The main tower is quite big with 2.3 meter height , it is Po Nagar tower . This tower has 4 floors , each floor has doors, god statues and animal statues made from stone, 4 small towers in 4 corners. Inside the tower is goddess statue ( 2.6 meters height) which was made from black granite (previously the incense, and gold) sitting on a majestic lotus-shaped stone , her back against a large Bodhi leaf-shaped stone . This is a masterpiece of Cham sculpture, a harmonious combination of circular statue's technology and embossing.
On the top of the tower is a statue of Shiva riding Nandin, an ox god , and animal statue such as: swans , goats, elephants etc. The outside of the tower walls are decorated by sculptures in stone such as the dancers, boatmen, men milling rice or hunting with bow and arrow. The main door in the east leads to a vestibule, two doors with two pillars are carved the communications, supporting a shield-shaped stone carved goddess Durga dancing between the two musicians. Inside the tower is dark and cold. At the end of tower, a stone altar Po Nagar statue with ten arms is put onto a stone altar. Two hands put on the knees, the other hands hold things like short swords, arrows, mace and spear on the right and bell, disk, and horn on the left . The other towers worship : Siva (one of the three supreme gods of Hinduism), Sanhaka god, god Ganeca (according to legend, he is the son of Siva).
Ponagar Towel festial
This festival is held from 21th March to 23th March ( Chinese calendar) every year. It includes small festivals : changing clothes for statue festival, mass for the peace of somebody's soul and flower garlands and coloured lanterns. , mass for quiet- seeking nation, traditional festival, offering festival.... In addition to this , this festival has many traditional activities such as: dancing, singing, Chau Van, pottery performances, making brocade of Champa people.
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