The unique Ponagar Tower

Overall, the Ponagar Tower complex consists of three levels (located on a hill); the main level (at the top) is the most distinctive, featuring a temple complex, and despite the wars, four towers remain. The largest and most remarkable tower in the complex is dedicated to the goddess Ponagar and is called the Ponagar Tower (the name of the tower is also the general name for the entire complex); the remaining towers are dedicated to Shiva and other deities.

The Ponagar Tower is 23 meters high, and its body and spire are elaborately and exquisitely decorated in the characteristic architectural style of Cham temples, featuring numerous patterns, symbols, and images of gods and animals.

The main tower (on the left), dedicated to the goddess Ponagar, is the largest in the temple complex (its construction date is estimated to be the first half of the 11th century). The tower is square-shaped, consisting of a base, body, and roof. The upper part of the roof is conical, elaborately decorated with numerous motifs, reliefs, and images of deities and animals. Photo: LOAN PHƯƠNG

According to the tour guide, the heart of the complex is the statue of the goddess Ponagar, worshipped inside the tower. The statue, carved from granite, is seated with ten arms, symbolizing omnipotent power. For the Cham people, the goddess Ponagar is the one who gave birth to their people and established their land, creating life for all living things; she also always protects, shelters, and bestows blessings upon them, thus she is revered as their mother and is collectively known as the Mother of the Land.

What is remarkable about these towers is that they were built primarily of fired bricks, yet they have withstood the ravages of time for thousands of years. The bricks retain their pink color, do not rot, and drain water extremely quickly whenever it rains. A question arises: what material did the ancient Chams use to bind the bricks together, making these towers so durable and sturdy? Numerous studies, both domestic and international, and many theories have been proposed, but this remains a mystery to this day.

At the Ponagar Tower, there is currently a Cham dance troupe on standby to perform for tourists. Photo: LOAN PHƯƠNG

Unlike most Cham tower complexes in Central Vietnam, which are now just ruins, the Ponagar Tower still maintains religious activity. Here, it is not only a religious place of worship for the Cham people, but through cohabitation and the similarity in the worship of the Mother Goddess, the Vietnamese people created their own legend about the Holy Mother Thien Ya Na to worship. It is also considered the largest center of Mother Goddess worship in Central Vietnam for the Vietnamese (holding an important and sacred position comparable to the Lieu Hanh Goddess in the North and the Ba Chua Xu Goddess in the South). Currently, this place is generally referred to as the Ponagar Tower.

Every year, from the 20th to the 23rd of the third lunar month, the Thap Ba Tower hosts the most solemn and largest festival of the year, featuring numerous cultural and religious activities. During this time, Cham and Vietnamese people from all over bring offerings to sincerely worship, express their reverence and gratitude, and pray for health, prosperity, peace, and happiness.

The heart of the historical site is the statue of Lady Ponagar enshrined in the tower. This is considered a masterpiece of ancient Cham sculpture. The statue's composition features a Linga placed on a Yoni-shaped pedestal (representing male and female genders), strongly reflecting fertility beliefs and the Cham people's desire for procreation and abundance. (In the photo: A replica of the statue of Lady Ponagar (in the exhibition hall of the historical site) is a restoration of the statue of Lady Ponagar enshrined in the tower). Photo: HUYEN ANH

Huyen Anh

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