Ponagar Tower Nha Trang is one of the extremely precious historical relics of Vietnam. With a history of more than 1,200 years, this is one of the famous landmarks of the coastal city of Nha Trang and a favorite destination of domestic and foreign tourists, to enter the tower you must buy an entrance ticket. And in order to preserve the beauty of this place, please comply with the regulations set forth by the management.
Ponagar Tower Nha Trang was built in the 7th century to honor the goddess Truc Lam, who is considered by Buddhists to be an important female saint in the history of Buddhism in Vietnam. The tower is built entirely of zinc and stone and has the Cham Pa architectural style. During construction, all the stone blocks are hand crafted to fit together perfectly. Thap Ba Ponagar Nha Trang is also known as Yang Po Inu Nagar or Yang Po Ana Gar (Inu, Ana in Cham language, Ede, Jarai means female) (full name is Po Inu Nagar, also known as Po Anagar). Is a Cham Pa temple located on top of a small hill about 10-12 meters above sea level, at the mouth of the Cai River (Nha Trang River) in Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa.
Ponagar Tower Nha Trang has its name derived from the name of the god honored here – Nu Truc Lam. This god is considered an important historical figure, has contributed to building and helping people in this area develop rapidly. To some, Nu Truc Lam is considered the soul of the Champa land, while for others, she is considered a combination of Buddhist thought and Vietnamese folk beliefs.
Ponagar Tower Nha Trang is considered an attractive destination for tourists when visiting the city. Here, you will discover the secrets of a rich culture and history. Ponagar Nha Trang Tower is also a place to visit and learn unique Champa architecture, along with good news and traditional rituals of the Cham people.
When visiting Ponagar Tower in Nha Trang, you will admire the towering towers, built on a smooth stone foundation. Each tower is clearly and delicately carved, with imaginative drawings such as dragons, horses, gods and highly aesthetic patterns. Besides, you can also visit the temple of Goddess Truc Lam, which is designed with beautiful and delicate architectural constructions.
Ponagar Tower Nha Trang is not only a precious historical relic of the country, but also an attractive cultural and tourist site for domestic and foreign tourists. Coming to this place, you will be immersed in the magical space of culture and history, along with memorable experiences in the life of the Cham people.
2. Ponagar temple complex in Nha Trang: According to the remains, the temple complex has a total of 6 towers with the name Kalan. Kalan in Champa language means temple/tower. Currently, due to many objective reasons: wars, natural disasters, so for thousands of years, the current temple and tower area only retains 4 towers, the 2 rear towers have been destroyed and only the foundation remains. The towers are all built in the same way, only different in size and width. Built according to the square plan. From the straight foot to near the top of the tower, the top position is designed in the shape of a cone, decorated with many sculptures. Each tower has 4 doors facing East, West, South and North. But all of them are fake door frames, only opening the door to the East. Behind is Thap Ba hot spring, providing hot bath, high-class mud bath in Nha Trang.
+ The Northeastern Tower belongs to the complex of Pongar towers in Nha Trang. The main tower is also the tallest tower about 23m. Built in 813 – 817 and restored and repaired in the 11th century. Use 5 rows of wall-mounted pillars running along the tower body. The four corners of the roof are 4 small towers, of which 3 floors are gradually shrinking upwards. The roof system of the Tower is compared to Mount Meru – where there are 5 mountains of the gods in Cambodia and has the highest middle peak. On it will be decorated all the mascots, reliefs and dances of the Cham people: Elephant, Goose, Goat, Apsara dance – another name is cosmic dance – an extremely famous dance of the Cham people. … Brings a deep spiritual direction of religion. Looking to the arch of the door, you will easily see the stone leaf-shaped relief. Like the embodiment of the four dancing arms of the god Shiva. Shiva’s right foot rests on Nandin’s ox, and on both sides is a flute-playing musician. The characters appearing in the bas-relief are shown very flexibly, smoothly, creating vividness and breaking the way. Moreover, the relief plate dating from the 11th century is also one of the most beautiful reliefs of Champa culture in Vietnam. You will notice on the stone pillars at the door there are inscriptions engraved with Sancrit letters mixed with ancient letters. The content records the construction of the tower and the offerings of the Cham kings and royal families to the Goddess and the Goddess’ blessing to all peoples. Quoting an inscription: “The goddess of Kauthara, whose body was ablaze with beauty and the excellent cloak of gold, whose face
shining bright and beautiful like a lotus flower and her cheeks shining with the light of jewels, have always blessed all those who knelt before them to pray.” To the inside of the tower is a square shrine with a statue of Goddess Ponagar. This is also the soul for the Ponagar tower in Nha Trang. He is also the statue of Uma – the negative symbol of Shiva. And according to the beliefs of the Vietnamese people, so the statue is dressed in Siamese clothes, worshiping Co and Uncle on both sides. On the cells of the fake are carved deep into the wall with triangles. In the past, the Cham Pa people lit incense and made offerings with water. Later, according to the belief in incense, the lamp was changed. That’s why on the walls of the monument you see black clinging to it.
+ Nam Thap tower is the second largest after the main tower with a height of 18m in the architectural complex of Ponagar towers in Nha Trang. Looking at it, we still recognize the architecture built according to the old motif, but only the roof has something different. They are reduced to a top floor pulling upwards, on top of which is placed a linga pillar. It is said to be the place to worship Lord Shiva – the husband of the Goddess, also known as the Ong tower. Dated to the 13th century.
+ The Northwest Tower is the third tallest in the entire tower, about 9m. Also the tower is still intact in terms of decoration and architecture. Each fake doorway is a mascot, delicately carved on the ground of baked bricks. The southern false door is the image of the god Garuda, the North is the time god Kala, the west is the statue of the goddess riding an elephant. The tower has only one floor and the roof is simulated like a boat. According to the motif, the topic is soft and sharp, bending inward, exposing both foreheads. And there are carvings of the god sitting under the canopy of Nagar snake heads.
The Northwest Tower worships Ganesha – the image of luck, wisdom and happiness. Legend has it that this is the tower to worship Co – Uncle, who is the child of the Goddess. The main mascots in the tower are Linga and Yoni. It is a place to pray for all kinds of flowers and things to always flourish, life is always warm, happy, and reunited. The tower dates back to 817 and rebuilt in the 13th century. + Southeast Tower is only 7.1m high and is also the smallest tower of all. The tower was built quite simply with a saddle or boat-shaped roof. The familiar image of Southeast Asian fishermen in Hai Dao. It is a sub-architecture and belongs to the late type, in the 11th – 12th centuries. The tower worships the middle idol for power and war Skandha. This is also the tower to worship Mr and Mrs Tieu – who conceived and raised Goddess Thien Y A Na.
In addition, Ponagar Tower Nha Trang is also a place to interact with the Cham people, understand more about the culture, beliefs and customs of the traditional Cham people. Visitors can also participate in activities such as dancing, praying for slaves, singing folk songs and drinking Cham wine to experience the life of the people here.
