Nha Trang is one of Vietnam’s famous tourist cities, with beautiful beaches, beautiful islands, and attractive entertainment activities. But if you want to learn about the culture and history of this land, you cannot ignore the Ponagar Tower – a unique architectural relic of the ancient Cham people.
Ponagar Tower is the general name for the entire Cham tower complex located on the top of a hill at the mouth of the Cai River, Nha Trang, located only 2km north of the city center. Ponagar Tower is considered a prominent architectural feature during the heyday of Hinduism.
History and meaning of Ponagar Tower
According to research, Ponagar Tower was built from about the 7th to the 13th century, during the prosperous period of the Cham Pa kingdom. Ponagar Tower is also known by the name Thap Thien Y Thanh Mother, Yang Po Inu Nagar Tower or Yang Po Ana Gar. The tower was built to worship the goddess Po Ina Nagar – the goddess who created the earth, created trees and rice, protected people from rain, storms, and brought a prosperous crop, peaceful life.
Ponagar Tower is one of the remaining ancient Cham architectural works in Vietnam, and is one of the important historical relics of Nha Trang. Ponagar Tower was ranked as a national relic in 1979. Ponagar Tower is also the place to organize religious festivals of the Cham people, especially the Ponagar Tower festival in March of the lunar calendar every year.
Architecture and how to visit Ponagar Tower
Ponagar Tower consists of 4 main towers and some other small towers, built on a 10m high stone pedestal, with an area of about 500m2. The towers are divided into 3 floors, symbolizing the three worlds of Hinduism: Bhurloka (the underworld), Bhuvarloka (the middle world) and Svarloka (the upper world).
The first floor is the gate tower area, where there are grand gates, but has been heavily damaged over time. There are only stone steps, pillar bases, and stone steps leading to the next floor.
The second floor is the front yard (Mandapa), where the Cham people use to prepare offerings before offering. Here, 10 large pillars are still preserved, divided into 2 rows, 3m high, 1m in diameter. Around there are 12 smaller columns, placed on a 1m high base.
The third floor is the main tower area, where there are 4 large towers and some other small towers. The largest tower is the tower worshiping the goddess Po Ina Nagar, 23m high, has 9 floors, decorated with floral motifs, animals, and gods. Inside the tower is a bronze statue of the goddess, 2.6m high, covered with gold and silver¹. The remaining towers are the towers worshiping the god Siva, the god Sanhaka, and the god Ganeca.
To visit Ponagar Tower, you can buy entrance tickets for 30,000 VND/guest/turn. Opening hours are from 8:00 to 18:00 daily. You should dress politely, not too short or revealing, to respect the culture and beliefs of this place. You should also note not to touch the statues, pillars or worship objects in the tower, to avoid damaging the relic.
Ponagar Tower is a unique and attractive cultural tourist destination of Nha Trang, bringing you useful knowledge and interesting experiences about the beauty of architecture, history, and spirituality of the ancient Cham people. You will not regret visiting Ponagar Tower on your trip.
