Po Dam Tower (Po Tam) in Tuy Phong

1. Tower cluster location:

From Lac Tri village, cross Long Song river, follow the road through the fields of Lac Tri Agricultural Cooperative, to the Northwest, look up at the hill named Kađak/Ka-da, the locals call it Ong Xiem mountain, there is a group of towers called Po Dam tower group, the locals call it Ong Gam tower.

The stone with ancient Cham writing on Po Dam tower. Photo: D. Trinh

According to researchers, the Po Dam tower group was built around the end of the 8th century to the beginning of the 9th century. Previously there were 6 towers in total, now only 3 remain.

Next to the tower, a stone was found with an ancient Cham inscription, which is still preserved next to the tower.

When Po Dam ascended the throne, his name was Po Kathit (Po Ka-thich). The Cham people often called Po Dam Po Tam. The locals often called him Ong Gam.

Po Tam, Po Kloong Tam, Po Tam Muh are the names given to him after he was deified.

2. Legend of Po Dam:

According to the Cham calendar, he was born on Saturday, the 3rd day of the 6th month of the year Giap Thin/I-nư Gi-rai Lieh, in the solar calendar, 1388. He was the eldest son of King Po Parachanh, and the younger brother of Po Sah Inư. He ascended the throne in the year Binh Dan/Ri-moong Jim, in the solar calendar, 1446, in the capital city of Băl Bát Thi-nưng ( Khanh Hoa ) until 1472, for 27 years.

After abdicating, he went to the southern region of Pangdurangga (Pang-tù-rang-ga) with his sister Po Sah I-nu, traveling to all the Cham villages in the region to help people reclaim wasteland, dig canals, and build dams for agricultural production. He taught people how to grow rice, grow crops, grow cotton, and weave cloth... To this day, he has left many traces, such as:

- In Tuy Phong district there is Ppariya dam also known as Ba-Ra dam, Riya dam/Tuy Tinh dam.

- In Bac Binh district, there are Kroong Mal dam/Dong Mang dam, Pa-tâw Chang dam/Da Han dam, Ha-mu Pa-jai dam/Ca Giay dam, Ha-mu Bi-raw dam/Dong Moi dam.

- In Ham Thuan Bac district, there is Hamia dam/Cay Khe dam on the upper Quao river.

- In Tanh Linh district, he also guided people in the area to reclaim wasteland for cultivation.

In addition to the tower group in Lac Tri village, Phu Lac commune, Tuy Phong district; He also has many relics of Kut stone temples in some other localities, such as: At Pa-lay Ha-mu Ro field/Ton Thanh village, now Phan Hoa commune, Bac Binh district. Kut stone in Tam Bo, the source of La Ba river, Phan Dung commune, Tuy Phong district. Kut stone in Cay Khe dam and temple in Ma Lam 3 village, Ham Thuan Bac district.

Currently, the Mang Tinh clan, formerly in La Ba (Phan Dung, Tuy Phong district), now in Phan Dien commune, Bac Binh district, still preserves his clothes and antiques. Every time there is a ceremony to pray for peace/Yor Yang, representatives of the Mang Tinh clan bring these clothes and antiques to Po Dam tower to worship.

Every three years, to commemorate his merits, the Cham people of Phu Lac commune, Tuy Phong district hold a festival to pray for peace on the tower in the middle of the late fourth month of the Cham calendar.

The Cham people in Ham Thuan Bac district celebrate the Kate festival at his temple in Ma Lam 3 village, Ma Lam town, Ham Thuan Bac district on the full moon day of the seventh lunar month according to the Cham calendar.

In the hymns about the temples, there is a passage that the Po Kadhar/Teacher Co-ke sect sings to commemorate the merits of Po Tam:

Cham words:

Po Tam is a rich man.

I'm so happy, I'm so happy.

Po Tam is a rich man,

The hill is full of trees.

Translation:

Po Tam built a dam to block the canal,

Cover the pole with a blanket, the water flows upstream into the ditch.

Po Tam dammed the Bo River

Braided hair down, waded upstream the ditch.

The Po Dam tower group in Lac Tri village, Phu Lac commune, Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan province was recognized by the State as a National Historical and Cultural Relic in 1996.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/di-tich-van-hoa-lich-su-quoc-gia-thap-po-dam-po-tam-o-tuy-phong-124375.html