Time: From the 1st day of the seventh month according to Cham calendar (equivalent to 25 September to 5 October by solar calendar).
Place: Po Nagar Tower Temple (Huu Duc Hamlet), Po Klong Garai Tower (Do Vinh Ward, Cham Tower), Po Rome Tower (Hau Sanh Hamlet).
Objects of worship: Gods: Po Klong Garai, Po Rome.
Characteristics: Ritual of the Cham people.
The Cham people’s Kate Festival lasts three days on a large area, from tower temple (Bi mon or Ka lan) to villages (Paley) to each family (Nga wom).
This is the most unique festival of the Cham community. It is not only connected with ancient tower temples where the highest technical and aesthetic values of Cham culture are stored but also other cultural aspects such as votive things, costumes, music instruments, and songs praising kings who made great service to the country and people. The festival is also an occasion where the participants can enjoy unique folk singing, dancing and music. They can dance with Cham girls and relax with Gi nang drumming and Saranai trumpeting. The festival serves as evidence for the cultural richness of the Vietnamese.
The Cham people’s Kate Festival takes place in three tower temples at the same time and on the same day. The rituals are similar in content and the way of conducting.
The festival consists of two parts, rituals and festivities, as follows:
The first day is for the ceremony to receive Goddess Po Nagar’s costumes in Huu Duc Hamlet.
The ceremony takes place from 1.30 p.m of the first day to 9 p.m of the same day in the hamlet’s temple. It is for receiving the costumes of Po Nagar, who the Cham people consider the mother of their land. She is the ancestress of the Cham community. She taught local people to grow rice, plant cotton, weave clothing and carry out the festival. At the temple, people hold ceremonies to receive and give the goddess’ precious things and cultural exchanges between the Cham and Raglai people.
The second day is for Kate Festival at Cham Towers.
The costume receiving ritual (often starting at 7 a.m) All the royal costumes at Cham tower temples are kept by the Raglai people. Therefore, at the Kate Festival, the Cham people have to do a ceremony to welcome the Ragrai people who bring the costumes to the Cham Tower Temples. The ceremony is held solemnly because it initiates the whole festival.
The ceremony to receive costumes at Po Nagar Temple takes place in the afternoon, one day before the official festival day at the tower temples. It starts at 1.30 p.m and finishes at 9 p.m the same day. Similar ceremonies at Po Rome and Po Klong Garai Towers take place in the next morning. Although they take place at different times, the rituals are almost the same.
On the day of the ceremony to receive King Po Klong Garai’s costumes at Po Klong Grai Temple in Phuoc Dong, the Raglai people arrive there in the early morning. The man who takes care of the temple offers liquor and eggs to ask for gods’ permission to take the costumes to Po Klong Garai Tower for a ritual. When he finishes his job, King Po Klong Garai’s costumes are put on a palanquin and taken to Po Klong Garai Tower. The way from Phuoc Dong Hamlet to the tower is about four kilometers. As soon as the procession arrives at the tower, a group of dancers will perform a dance in front of the tower. This dance will also performed at the end of any stage of the Cham people’s rituals.
The similar ceremony at Po Rome Tower takes place on the same day.
The Cham people’s Kate Festival lasts three days on a large area, from tower temple (Bi mon or Ka lan) to villages (Paley) to each family (Nga wom).
This is the most unique festival of the Cham community. It is not only connected with ancient tower temples where the highest technical and aesthetic values of Cham culture are stored but also other cultural aspects such as votive things, costumes, music instruments, and songs praising kings who made great service to the country and people. The festival is also an occasion where the participants can enjoy unique folk singing, dancing and music. They can dance with Cham girls and relax with Gi nang drumming and Saranai trumpeting. The festival serves as evidence for the cultural richness of the Vietnamese.
The Cham people’s Kate Festival takes place in three tower temples at the same time and on the same day. The rituals are similar in content and the way of conducting.
The festival consists of two parts, rituals and festivities, as follows:
The first day is for the ceremony to receive Goddess Po Nagar’s costumes in Huu Duc Hamlet.
The ceremony takes place from 1.30 p.m of the first day to 9 p.m of the same day in the hamlet’s temple. It is for receiving the costumes of Po Nagar, who the Cham people consider the mother of their land. She is the ancestress of the Cham community. She taught local people to grow rice, plant cotton, weave clothing and carry out the festival. At the temple, people hold ceremonies to receive and give the goddess’ precious things and cultural exchanges between the Cham and Raglai people.
The second day is for Kate Festival at Cham Towers.
The costume receiving ritual (often starting at 7 a.m) All the royal costumes at Cham tower temples are kept by the Raglai people. Therefore, at the Kate Festival, the Cham people have to do a ceremony to welcome the Ragrai people who bring the costumes to the Cham Tower Temples. The ceremony is held solemnly because it initiates the whole festival.
The ceremony to receive costumes at Po Nagar Temple takes place in the afternoon, one day before the official festival day at the tower temples. It starts at 1.30 p.m and finishes at 9 p.m the same day. Similar ceremonies at Po Rome and Po Klong Garai Towers take place in the next morning. Although they take place at different times, the rituals are almost the same.
On the day of the ceremony to receive King Po Klong Garai’s costumes at Po Klong Grai Temple in Phuoc Dong, the Raglai people arrive there in the early morning. The man who takes care of the temple offers liquor and eggs to ask for gods’ permission to take the costumes to Po Klong Garai Tower for a ritual. When he finishes his job, King Po Klong Garai’s costumes are put on a palanquin and taken to Po Klong Garai Tower. The way from Phuoc Dong Hamlet to the tower is about four kilometers. As soon as the procession arrives at the tower, a group of dancers will perform a dance in front of the tower. This dance will also performed at the end of any stage of the Cham people’s rituals.
The similar ceremony at Po Rome Tower takes place on the same day.
