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Cham Kate Festival 2014 in Ninh Thuan

Mon, 27 Oct 2014. Last updated Thu, 25 Jun 2015 08:54

From October 22th - 24th, Ninh Thuan People Committee successfully organized Cham Kate Festival 2014 in 3 ancient towers of the city involving Polnu Nagar, Po Rme, and Po Klong Girai. Many meaningful cultural activities took place in the festival.

As usual, by the end of September and at the beginning of October (Lunar Calendar), Cham community following Brahmanism in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan annually organizes Kate Festival, one of the most important festivals in Ninh Thuan. Kate Festival is a New Year festival of Cham people, which is known as a sacred festival to commemorate heroic martyrs and ancestors and express the gratitude to Gods. As queen's flowers bloom dying the mountainous region of Cham Tower purple, it is also the time when Cham people eagerly prepare for Kate Festival in 3 ancient towers involving Po Klong Garai Tower - a place of worshiping Po Klong Garai King (1151 - 1205) who was honored as the God of irrigation; Po Rome Tower, a worshiping place of Po Rome King - the God of developing agriculture, and Po Nagar Towel - a worshiping place of Goddess who taught Cham people rice cultivation and fabric wearing.

 

Offerings in Cham Kate Festival in Ninh Thuan

 

As expected, this year Kate Festival took place in two days - October 22th and 23rd - with main rituals of the festival including opening temple's gate, bathing god's statues, dressing up statue's costumes, dancing to pray for peace, and holding the main ceremony with offerings of goat meat, chicken, rice, wine, fruits and so on. After these two days, on October 24th, Kate Festival was continued to organizing in 2 Brahmin villages, which are My Nghiep Village and Bau Truc Pottery Village with many cultural activities, artistic performances, sport activities, and folk games such as weaving contest, pottery making contest, ceramic exhibition in families, Kate worshiping, folk art performances, football, volleyball, and other folk games. On this occasion, Cham Kate Festival in families was also held to gather all members of a family and pray for a lucky and prosperous year. 

 

Traditional performance of ethnic group in Kate Festival

 

Only a few days left before the time when the festival took place, the atmosphere in Cham villages was becoming more and more boisterous. Mr. Ham Minh Thieu, Chairman of My Nghiep Cooperative informed that Kate Festival in Ninh Thuan 2014 was carefully prepared to bring charismatic and attractive activities and programs for travelers attending in the festival. Joining in the festival, tourists could immerse in a procession of Goddess Po Inu Nu Gar - who made great contributions to the development of Cham villages.

 When referring to Ninh Thuan festivals, it is impossible without mentioning the beauty of special architecture and sculpture of Cham architecture. In the jubilant atmosphere of Cham people to celebrate the festival, travelers could enjoy special repertoires of music and dancing performances. This year festival attracted thousands of tourists attending. 

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