Kate Festival of Cham people - a special highlight of cultural tourism

Every year on the 1st of July of the Cham calendar (around September and October of the Gregorian calendar), the Kate Festival of the Cham Brahman people takes place in Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces with many unique traditional Cham cultural and artistic activities.

Kate ceremony is held at Cham tower

• KATE FESTIVAL OF THE CHAM PEOPLE

This year, the Kate Festival of the Cham people in Binh Thuan was held at the Po Sah Inư Tower relic (Phan Thiet City) on October 1 and 2, with many traditional ceremonies and festivals imbued with Cham folk culture. On October 2, there was also a ceremony to announce the Prime Minister's Decision on the 12th recognition of national treasures in 2023 for the golden Linga discovered at Po Dam Tower (in Phu Lac Commune, Tuy Phong District), dating back to around the 8th - 9th century.

On the main festival day, there are full rituals with unique traditional folk cultural values, imbued with the spirituality and beliefs of the Cham people, such as the rituals: welcoming the Po Sah Inư Goddess costume to the main tower, opening the tower door, bathing the Linga - Yoni altar, wearing the Linga - Yoni altar costume and the grand ceremony to thank the Po Sah Inư Goddess, the gods and grandparents, ancestors... The festival part is the exciting activities taking place on the main stage, such as: Saranai trumpet blowing competition and water team overcoming obstacles; decorating offerings on Thonla and Co Bong to worship the Po Sah Inư Goddess; traditional folk art exchange; pottery making and brocade weaving performances...

In Ninh Thuan, the Kate Festival 2024 of the Cham people will be held for 3 days: October 1, 2 and 3. The main ceremony will be held on the morning of October 2 at 3 Cham temple and tower areas: Po Klong Garai Tower (Phan Rang - Thap Cham City), Po Rome Tower and Po Inu Nugar Temple (Ninh Phuoc District). Along with the Kate Festival 2024, Ninh Thuan province also developed a Plan to organize cultural, artistic, sports and tourism activities to celebrate the Kate Festival 2024 and promote the Kate Festival to travel agencies and tourism agencies associated with the successful organization of the 6th Cham Cultural Festival in 2024 in Ninh Thuan province. The Kate Festival 2024 in Ninh Thuan is also an occasion to announce the Prime Minister's Decision on the recognition of 4 national treasures in the 12th period in 2023...

Kate is the oldest and most unique folk festival of the Cham people following Brahmanism in Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan - two localities with many Cham people, with the meaning of remembering the gods, ancestors, grandparents; praying for favorable weather, good crops; harmonious couples, people and all things flourishing... On the occasion of Kate Festival, not only Cham people in Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan; but also Cham people living and working everywhere return to reunite and gather with family, friends and relatives.

An opportunity for people and tourists to learn about Cham culture.

• UNIQUE CULTURAL TOURISM RESOURCES

Kate Festival is a unique and attractive tourism product that attracts a large number of people, domestic and international tourists to attend and join in the festival atmosphere of the Cham community. Kate Festival is held annually, starting with festivals at Cham temples and towers; to entertainment activities, celebrating Tet at clans and families. This custom is considered a flow from the community to the individual, preserved by the Cham people for thousands of years. This year, Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces both allow officers, soldiers, civil servants, public employees, laborers, workers, students who are Cham ethnic people following Brahmanism in the province to take a 3-day Kate Tet holiday in 2024 (from October 2 to 4).

Kate Festival is one of the five most unique festivals of Binh Thuan province, included in the List of typical local festivals that need to be preserved and promoted to serve tourism development. Notably, on April 4, 2022, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 776/QD-BVHTTDL to include the Kate Festival of the Cham people in Binh Thuan province in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Previously, in October 2017, "Kate Festival of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan province" was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Paranung drum performer

Going back in history, from the 15th century onwards, the Champa kingdom was heavily influenced by Hinduism. After the 15th century, Islam entered Champa society... Up to now, the Vietnamese Cham people include 3 main religious branches: the Cham Ahier (or Balamon), influenced by Hinduism; the Cham Awal (or Bani), influenced by Islam; the Cham Islam (a few in Ninh Thuan and mainly in An Giang) follow orthodox Islam. The current Kate festival is a festival of the Cham Ahier branch.

Before 1965, Kate was just a ritual on the tower temple, with the presence of some Cham Ahier followers, but very sparse, without the presence of "audiences", because according to custom, this was an offering of gifts to the gods on Kate day on the tower temple... In 1965, local officials asked Ahier dignitaries to allow the Kate ritual to include an artistic performance to welcome the Vietnamese delegation visiting the Cham people on the occasion of Kate. Since then, the Kate ritual has had a festival part, and later became increasingly rich, solemn and developed until today...

Kate is a major festival, with important spiritual, religious, and emotional significance for the Cham Brahman community; contributing significantly to the intangible cultural heritage of the Cham people; reflecting many aspects of culture, customs, and arts related to the life of the Cham community. Over thousands of years, with many ups and downs of history, as well as the process of cultural exchange and acculturation, but basically the Kate Festival is still preserved and maintained according to traditional customs; contributing to raising awareness of national origins, ethical values, as well as inheriting and transmitting the unique traditional cultural heritage of the nation...

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/du-lich/202410/le-hoi-kate-cua-nguoi-cham-diem-nhan-dac-sac-cua-du-lich-van-hoa-9d232fc/