Cultural heritage in Cham village Binh Nghia

Dignitaries presiding over the Rija Harei ceremony opened a series of spiritual activities in the first month of the new year 2025 at Cham Binh Nghia village.

These days, Cham villages in Ninh Thuan are busy preparing the ceremonial house to organize Rija Nugar (Rija: Ceremony, Nugar: Land) - the most important ritual in the spiritual life of the community. The ceremony takes place on Thursday and Friday of January according to the Cham calendar, presided over by dignitaries such as Maduen (shaman), Kadhar (shaman), Kaing (dancer), Camanei (temple keeper) and Pajau (shaman).

To the sound of baranung drums, ghi nang, kanhi and saranai trumpets, Mr. Kaing performed traditional dances such as whip dance, rowing boat dance, fire-pedaling dance, creating a bustling and joyful atmosphere. Cham people dressed in traditional costumes, offered offerings to gods and ancestors with the wish to ward off evil and welcome good things, praying for a new year of growth and bountiful harvests. Rija Nugar is not only a spiritual ceremony, but also an occasion to vividly demonstrate the folk cultural values ​​and unique performing arts of the Cham people.

Mr. Maduen Sam Tanh beats the baranung drum and sings to praise the gods for blessing the villagers with peace and happiness.

Coming to Binh Nghia village, Bac Son commune, Thuan Bac district in the first days of the Cham calendar year 2025, we witnessed a bustling atmosphere with many unique ritual activities to celebrate the new year. At Po Bin Thuen temple, Mr. Luong Thi, Head of the village's customs committee happily shared: The 2024-2025 Winter-Spring rice crop was successful in both productivity and price, helping people have the conditions to buy offerings to celebrate Tet in a warm and exciting atmosphere, while preparing to enter the new Summer-Autumn crop. He said that the name Binh Nghia in Cham is "Palei Bal Riya", meaning "big city" (Palei: village, Bal: city, Riya: big).

The New Year's ceremony in Binh Nghia village takes place for nearly a month, from April 30 to May 21, 2025, with a series of 8 typical festivals imbued with Cham cultural identity. The first is the Rija Harei Ceremony on the morning of April 30 at Po Bin Thuer Temple - a ceremony to pray for peace for the community. Next is the Rija Nưgar Ceremony, celebrating the New Year, held on May 10 in Binh Nghia village. On May 14, the Po Bin Thuer worship ceremony takes place in My Tuong village (Nhon Hai commune, Ninh Hai district), followed by the Po Bia Chuai worship ceremony on May 15 in My Hiep village (Thanh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district). Closing the series of activities is the Palao Yang worship ceremony on May 21 in Binh Nghia village, with the wish for favorable weather, bountiful crops, growth of all things, and a healthy and peaceful community.

Mr. Kaing Luong Van Choi dressed up as Po Riyak with an oar to take the villagers through the stormy waves to a safe harbor.

The head of Thap Van Doc temple dances to invite ancestors to celebrate the new year 2025 with Binh Nghia villagers.

On the morning of April 30, the Rija Harei ceremony was held at the Po Bin Thuen temple grounds in Binh Nghia village, opening a series of festival activities at the beginning of the new year. Early in the morning, dignitaries and villagers brought offerings such as chickens, fruits, flowers, betel and areca nuts, rice and soup to offer to the gods. The ceremony was presided over by Maduen Sam Tanh, Kaing Chau Quay, Kaing Luong Van Choi, Temple Chief Thap Van Doc, and Kadhar Chau Thien Lanh. Maduen Sam Tanh beat the baranung drum and sang praises to the gods, praying for a happy, prosperous, and prosperous new year for the villagers. Kaing Luong Van Choi dressed up as the gods and performed the dances of Po Nai, Po Ina Nagar, Po Riyak, with the symbolic oars to take the villagers through the storms and to a safe harbor.

Cham people in Binh Nghia village present offerings to the gods in the Rija Harei ceremony to open the new year 2025.

Talking with Mr. Truong Thanh Loi, Party Cell Secretary and Head of Binh Nghia Village, we learned that the village currently has 891 households, with 4,698 Cham people. Thanks to the irrigation system from the Bac Canal and Song Trau Lake, the village has 186 hectares of irrigated rice fields, ensuring 2-3 rice crops per year. In the 2024-2025 Winter-Spring crop alone, farmers will harvest an average yield of 7.5 tons/ha, with traders purchasing dry rice at 7,300 VND/kg. After deducting all expenses, people still make an average profit of 25-30 million VND/ha. The whole village currently has 43 poor households, receiving support from National Target Programs to improve their livelihoods. Many families are good at business and production, such as Chau Quay, Dao Van To, Thanh Len, and have successful children who have become doctors, engineers, and teachers, such as Thuan Thi Sao, Duong Van Vuong, and Thuan Sapa, and have now returned to work locally.

Musicians beat the ghi nang drum in harmony with the baranung drum performed by Maduen Sam Tanh, while singing hymns praising the gods at the Rija Harei ceremony.

With constant efforts to preserve and promote traditional cultural values, Binh Nghia village is gradually preserving and developing the unique beauty of the Cham people. New Year rituals are not only an opportunity for the community to bond, but also a testament to the maintenance and promotion of intangible cultural values, contributing to enriching the cultural identity of Vietnam.

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/di-san-van-hoa-o-lang-cham-binh-nghia-1746520550019.htm