Ponagar Tower special national architectural and artistic relic

(CLO) The architectural and artistic relic of Ponagar Tower is the only place among the Cham temple and tower relics that is worshiped and used by people to this day.

On January 17, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long signed Decision No. 152/QD-TTg to rank 5 relics as special national relics (phase 17, 2025).

Among the 5 relics ranked as special national relics this time is the Ponagar Tower architectural and artistic relic (Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province).

Po Nagar Tower architectural and artistic relic (Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province). Photo: Document

According to the relic records, Ponagar Tower is a temple complex located on Cu Lao hill, nestled along Cai river, located in Vinh Phuoc ward, Nha Trang city.

The relic was built between the 8th and 13th centuries and is a typical work of Cham architectural art. In 1979, Ponagar Tower was ranked as a national historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ).

Besides the value of tangible cultural heritage, the Ponagar Tower relic complex also has unique intangible cultural value through the Ponagar Tower Festival held annually.

This is the largest and most famous traditional festival in the South Central - Central Highlands region, an opportunity for the community to return to its traditional cultural roots, cultivating spiritual values ​​on the journey to the future.

In 2012, the Ponagar Tower Festival was also recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Previously, at the consultation workshop on the construction of a scientific dossier to request recognition of Ponagar Tower as a special national monument, which took place at the end of April 2024, Associate Professor, Dr. Ngo Van Doanh - former member of the National Cultural Heritage Council, assessed Ponagar Tower as a "rare" relic with many architectural works bearing different nuances of the ancient kingdom of Champa.

In particular, Po Nagar Tower is the only place that is worshiped and used by people to this day among all Cham temple and tower relics.

According to Prof. Dr. Le Hong Ly - Vietnam Folklore Association, the arrangement and practice of Cham and Vietnamese rituals taking place simultaneously at Ponagar Tower is evidence of "religious symbiosis". In the main tower, next to the Cham Linga-Yoni statue is the Vietnamese Mother Goddess statue, creating the prominence and appeal of the relic.

Ponagar Tower is a large architectural complex, distributed on 3 levels including: Gate Tower, Mandapa and temple tower area. Photo: TQ

Scientists also highly appreciate typical features such as unique landscape space, relatively intact architecture with 4 towers, Mandapa area with 10 large columns inside and 12 small octagonal columns outside.

Here is preserved the only stone statue of goddess Ponagar in Vietnam, the relief of the Bodhi leaf "Shiva dancing" in the Northeast tower.

Khanh Ngoc

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/di-tich-kien-truc-nghe-thuat-thap-ba-ponagar-duoc-xep-hang-quoc-gia-dac-biet-post331041.html