Looking up from the highway, visitors see three dark red brick structures standing atop a low, rocky hill dotted with cactus. That knoll is Trầu hill, called Mbuen Hala in Cham, and the three structures form the Po Klong Garai temple complex (also spelled Po Klaung Garai or Pô Klong Garai). At the top of the slope, what strikes the eye first is not the height of the towers but the color and texture of the brickwork, a smooth reddish-brown surface with virtually no visible mortar joints between the bricks.
Among the dozens of Cham tower complexes surviving along central Vietnam, this sanctuary retains all three core structures intact, the gateway tower, the fire tower, and the main sanctuary, each still crowned by its original roof. Yet what sets this place apart from an archaeological ruin lies elsewhere. Once a year, the wooden doors of the main tower are unbarred, and the Cham Balamon community ascends the hill to perform the rites handed down by their ancestors. Worship in these towers has never ceased.
IA monarch elevated to divinity
An immediate clarification helps avoid misclassifying the site. This complex is a Cham Hindu sanctuary, known locally as Cham Balamon, neither a Buddhist pagoda nor a temple of the Kinh majority. Its custodian community is the Cham Balamon population of historical Panduranga, corresponding to the Phan Rang area today.
The sanctuary is dedicated to Po Klong Garai (Po Klaung Garai), a historical Cham king deified by later generations. Rather than venerating him merely as a royal ancestor in a clan shrine, the Cham worship him in the form of the god Shiva, placing the king directly in the sanctum position reserved in Hindu temple architecture for the supreme deity.
In Shaivite doctrine, Shiva is worshiped not through an anthropomorphic statue alone but through the linga, an upright cylindrical pillar set into a square yoni pedestal grooved with a drainage channel. The linga represents the generative principle and the yoni the nurturing principle, joined as an inseparable pair, and the lustral water poured over the emblem flows along the yoni spout to be collected by devotees as sacred water.
When a Cham monarch was deified, sculptors did not carve a freestanding portrait statue, but fashioned a mukhalinga, a linga bearing a human face. Ordinarily that face is the countenance of Shiva. Here, the face carved in high relief on the shaft of the linga is the head and neck of King Po Klong Garai, complete with royal crown, beard, and ear ornaments. This iconographic form expresses concisely a profound theological concept, the fusion of royal sovereignty and divine power into a single stone block.
From a historiographical standpoint, sources differ on which historical monarch corresponds to Po Klong Garai, and the library presents each scholarly hypothesis rather than choosing one arbitrarily.
Heritage introductions and Cham oral chronicles commonly assign his reign to the years 1151 to 1205. Among historians, Associate Professor Ngô Văn Doanh links Po Klong Garai's career in Panduranga to King Suryavarman (Prince Sri Vidyanandana), who ruled Panduranga from 1190 and unified the entire kingdom of Champa from 1192 to 1203. Another hypothesis advanced by Dr. Nguyễn Văn Huy identifies him with King Jaya Indravarman IV, who reigned from 1167 to 1190. Other scholars classify Po Klong Garai as a legendary monarch of Cham folk memory whose composite biography cannot be matched to a single epigraphic name.
Where all accounts converge is his achievement in hydraulic engineering. Po Klong Garai is credited with constructing the Chaklin dam (Nha Trinh dam) and excavating two major irrigation canals (the Cái and Đực canals) to water the parched plains of Phan Rang, one of the most arid zones in central Vietnam. In a land where water determines survival, the ruler who brought water to the fields was remembered across generations, and that enduring gratitude crystallized into temple worship.
Three frequent misconceptions about the site merit historical clarification.
First, this is not a Buddhist pagoda. Locals call the area Tháp Chàm (Cham Towers), and visitors occasionally refer to it as a Cham pagoda, yet the towers contain no Buddha images, no Buddhist monks, and no Buddhist scriptures. The religious system here is Shaivite Hinduism, and the officiating clergy are Cham Balamon priests rather than Buddhist monastics.
Second, the image inside the main tower is not a full-body portrait statue. Visitors who peer into the sanctum expecting a seated or standing statue of a king are often surprised to see a cylindrical stone pillar bearing a sculpted head. That object is a mukhalinga, a canonical Shaivite emblem uniting the pillar of Shiva with the visage of the god-king.
Third, the date of the towers and the date of the statue inside do not coincide. While the brick towers were erected in the late 13th to early 14th century, the national treasure dossier of the Department of Cultural Heritage dates the sandstone mukhalinga in the sanctum to the 16th to 17th centuries, roughly three hundred years later than the building housing it. Such chronological layering is normal in living sanctuaries, where the architecture remains fixed while liturgical images are replenished or recarved over time.
IISeven hundred years on Trầu hill
The temple complex was erected in the late 13th to early 14th century during the reign of King Jaya Simhavarman III, known in Vietnamese historical annals as Chế Mân. Archaeological records in the heritage dossier indicate that the towers were not built on virgin ground, but directly atop the foundations of an earlier structure dating to around the 11th century, showing that Trầu hill was already sacred ground centuries before the present complex rose.
- 11th centuryEarly architectural layerThe heritage dossier notes that the extant complex was built over the foundations of an earlier monument, demonstrating that Trầu hill served as a place of worship from this period.
- 12th centuryReign of the venerated kingAccording to Cham tradition, Po Klong Garai reigned between 1151 and 1205 and built the Nha Trinh dam to irrigate the plains. Historians compare him with King Suryavarman (1190 to 1203) or King Jaya Indravarman IV (1167 to 1190).
- Late 13th centuryConstruction under King Jaya Simhavarman IIIKing Jaya Simhavarman III (Chế Mân) erects the three-tower complex in the late Champa architectural style to honor the deified Po Klong Garai, comprising the main sanctuary, gateway tower, and fire tower.
- 16th to 17th centuriesCarving of the extant mukhalingaThe period assigned by the national treasure dossier to the sandstone mukhalinga statue of King Po Klong Garai venerated inside the main sanctum.
- 1905 to 1908Early 20th-century survey and conservationFrench archaeologist Henri Parmentier of the École française d'Extrême-Orient clears, measures, and consolidates the monument group.
- 1979 and 2016National and special national heritage statusDesignated a national heritage site under Decision 54-VHTT/QĐ on April 29, 1979, and upgraded to a special national heritage site (7th batch) under Decision 2499/QĐ-TTg on December 22, 2016.
- 2017Katê Festival inscribed as national intangible heritageThe Katê Festival of the Cham people in the former Ninh Thuận province is inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage under Decision 2459/QĐ-BVHTTDL on June 20, 2017.
- 2024Worship statue recognized as a national treasureThe statue of King Po Klong Garai inside the main tower is recognized as a national treasure (12th batch) under Decision 73/QĐ-TTg signed on January 18, 2024.
What stands out across those seven centuries is that the complex was never abandoned. Whereas many Cham sanctuaries fell into ruin, this site has continuously preserved all three elements of a living temple, its monumental architecture, its sacred objects, and its worshiping community. Old Cham inscriptions carved directly onto the stone doorjambs of the main tower remain in situ as primary historical records detailing the foundation of the temple, royal endowments, and ritual organization.
IIIThree brick towers and Cham masonry
A complete Cham temple enclosure comprises several distinct buildings arranged around a central sanctuary. On Trầu hill, three intact structures survive, exemplifying the late 13th- to early 14th-century architectural style characterized by bold massing and spearhead-shaped corbeled arches.
Standing at the center on a nearly square plan measuring 13.8 meters long by 10.71 meters wide (some summaries round the base to 10.5 by 10.5 meters) and rising 20.5 meters high, crowned by three diminishing roof tiers and a lotus-bud stone finial. The true doorway opens to the east, while the other three sides feature false doors. Inside stand the national treasure mukhalinga of King Po Klong Garai and the stone bull Nandin.
Located to the east directly in front of the main sanctuary, measuring 5.1 meters long, 4.85 meters wide, and 8.56 meters high, pierced by two doorways aligned on the east-west axis through which officiants and pilgrims pass.
Positioned to the southeast on a rectangular plan measuring 8.18 meters long, 5 meters wide, and 9.31 meters high, divided into two interconnecting rooms with its main doorway opening north. Topped by a curved boat-shaped or saddle-shaped roof, it serves as the place where priests honor the Fire God (Agni) and store royal vestments and ritual vessels.
Above the eastern entrance of the Kalan sits a sandstone tympanum relief depicting six-armed Shiva performing the cosmic dance above two Makara sea dragons. On the eastern slope near the gateway tower rests a boulder carved with a half-length figure linked to the legend of Princess Pô Đăm, alongside Old Cham inscriptions on the sanctuary doorjambs.
In terms of materials, all three structures are built of fired brick, with sandstone reserved for doorframes, lintels, altars, and sculptures. Scholars continue to debate how the bricks were bonded together, as the wall faces show virtually no mortar joints and the bricks fit so tightly that a knife blade cannot slip between them. Proposed explanations include bonding with Dipterocarpus (dầu rái) tree resin, rubbing wet brick faces together until flush, or refiring assembled brickwork. Because no single explanation has been universally accepted as final, the library records the ongoing state of the debate.
The surface ornamentation also reflects the late style of Cham architecture. Rather than covering the entire brick wall with dense foliate carving as in 10th-century towers, the sculptors concentrated ornament at key structural points, namely the spearhead-shaped arch pediments, bold pilasters, and flame-shaped sandstone corner finials on each roof tier. Most of the wall surface is left plain with deep vertical grooves, giving the towers a austere, monumental stillness against the sun and wind of Trầu hill.
IVThe lie of the land and orientation
A direct clarification is needed before proceeding. Hinduism does not teach East Asian geomancy. Geomancy (phong thủy) is an East Asian divinatory system, and the Cham builders did not use it when selecting this hill. The rule that the true doorway of the main tower opens to the east follows Hindu sacred architecture, in which east is the direction of the rising sun whose morning rays must reach the altar. The observations below are a comparative reading offered by the library for readers familiar with traditional Vietnamese siting, not a doctrine recorded in the steles or intended by the original builders.
Read through traditional Vietnamese landform principles, the first feature is the elevated position. The complex crowns the summit of Trầu hill, a low granite knoll rising abruptly from the flat Phan Rang plain with open views in all four directions. In traditional Vietnamese siting, placing a sanctuary on the highest point of a level plain follows the solitary prominence (độc tôn) pattern, in which the monument itself acts as the peak rather than sheltering beneath a mountain. This contrasts sharply with the mountain-backed (tựa sơn) configuration favored by northern Vietnamese temples, which nestle against the foot of a hill for support.
The second feature is east orientation. In traditional Vietnamese geomancy, the east belongs to the Wood phase and corresponds to the rising vitality of morning, so east-facing shrines are read as receiving ascending qi. Hindu temple architecture chooses the east for an entirely different reason, namely that the first rays of dawn must pass through the gateway tower and the main doorway to illuminate the mukhalinga. The two traditions arrive at the same compass bearing through distinct lines of reasoning, and the value of comparing them lies in recognizing that difference rather than conflating them.
The third feature is the relationship with water. Judged by traditional Vietnamese siting rules of the delta plains, a rocky hill covered in boulders and cactus under a dry, windy sky would ordinarily be faulted as having parched or dispersing qi. Yet the deity enshrined inside the tower is the very monarch celebrated for damming the Dinh River at Nha Trinh to irrigate the surrounding fields below the hill. Rather than placing the temple beside a natural body of water, the Cham placed on the hilltop the god-king who created the water network for all of Panduranga.
Finally, there is the mountain within the monument. Traditional Vietnamese siting reads the lie of the land from the outside in, relying on a physical mountain behind the building as a backing screen. Hindu architecture reverses this logic, as the three-tiered kalan tapering toward its finial is itself an architectural replica of sacred Mount Meru, meaning the monument constructs the cosmic mountain within its own body. Understanding this principle explains why a Cham tower can stand self-sufficiently on an isolated knoll without needing a mountain range behind it.
VThe Katê Festival and the opening of the tower
Katê is the principal annual festival of the Cham Balamon community, opening on the 1st day of the 7th month of the Cham calendar, which usually falls in late September or early October of the Gregorian calendar. The festival honors male deities and deified kings, among whom Po Klong Garai holds a central place. Sanctuaries celebrating Katê simultaneously include Po Klong Garai, Po Rome, and the Po Inư Nagar temple in the former Ninh Thuận province, as well as Po Sah Inư Towers in the former Bình Thuận province.
The council of dignitaries officiating at the tower comprises the High Priest, called Po Adhia in Cham, the ritual musician and hymn singer who plays the kanhi two-stringed fiddle, called Kadhar, the ritual medium and dancer who presents offerings, called Muk Pajau, and the temple custodian, called Camnei. Each holds a specific liturgical role that no one else can replace, joined by delegations of the Raglai ethnic community, who by ancient tradition serve as the hereditary guardians of the king's royal vestments.
| Ritual stage | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Procession of the royal vestments | From the village up to Trầu hill | Cham dignitaries and Raglai representatives escort the ceremonial garments of King Po Klong Garai up to the foot of the towers to the accompaniment of ghi năng drums, paranưng frame drums, and saranai oboes. |
| Opening the tower door (Pơh bang yang) | In front of the main sanctuary | High Priest Po Adhia and the Kadhar chant prayers asking the deity's permission to unbar the sanctuary. The main tower door remains sealed throughout the year and opens primarily for major festivals. |
| Bathing the sacred image (Mưnay yang) | Inside the main sanctuary | Holy water infused with agarwood and herbs is poured over the sandstone mukhalinga. The water flowing out along the yoni spout is collected by devotees as a blessing. |
| Dressing the deity (Anguăk khan aw) | Inside the main sanctuary | The mukhalinga is dressed in the newly escorted royal robes and crown while the Kadhar plays the kanhi fiddle and chants hymns recounting the life and merits of the god-king. |
| Grand sacrifice (Adaik) and sacred dance | Inside and in front of the main tower | Presentation of offerings, hymn chanting, fan dances, and water-carrying dances praying for national peace and favorable rain. The outdoor festivities welcome visiting guests. |
| Village Katê and family Katê | Cham villages and individual households | After the ceremonies at the temple towers conclude, Katê celebrations move to the Cham villages and then to individual clans and households over the following days. |
One frequent conflation should be avoided. Katê is the religious festival of the Cham Balamon community, the branch practicing localized Hinduism at the temple towers, whereas Ramưwan is the sacred month of the Cham Bani and Cham Islam communities, the branches practicing Islam. The two observances differ in their theology, officiating clergy, and calendar. Referring to Katê as the universal New Year of all Cham people is a popular shorthand that is imprecise in religious terms.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Đồi Trầu, phường Đô Vinh, thành phố Phan Rang Tháp Chàm cũ, tỉnh Khánh Hòa
- Getting there
- Located on Trầu hill along Bác Ái Street, Đô Vinh ward (formerly part of Phan Rang - Tháp Chàm city, Ninh Thuận province before July 2025, with Đô Vinh ward now merged with Nhơn Sơn commune), Khánh Hòa province, right beside National Highway 27 toward Đà Lạt and about 7 km northwest of central Phan Rang.
- Coordinates
- 11.6011, 108.9469
Because this sanctuary is an active place of worship rather than an abandoned ruin, visitors are expected to observe Cham temple customs. Visitors should dress modestly, remove hats and shoes before stepping inside the main sanctuary, refrain from touching or sitting on the national treasure mukhalinga, the Nandin bull statue, or the inscribed stone doorjambs, and never climb on the brickwork of the towers. During the Katê Festival, esoteric rites inside the sanctum are conducted by officiating priests, and outside visitors watch from the courtyard as guided by the organizers.
Nearby places in the library
VIIContribute To This Page
Contribute photos, information or video for Po Klong Garai Towers
Góp ảnh, thông tin hoặc video cho Tháp Po Klong GaraiEveryone is welcome to enrich this page: a photo you took, a detail the page misses, a short video. Every contribution is read and answered.
Thầy Ưng Khiêm mời cộng đồng cùng làm giàu trang này. Ảnh chụp tận nơi, một chi tiết lịch sử chưa được nhắc, một đoạn video ngắn: mọi đóng góp đều được đọc và trả lời.
No community contribution yet. You could be the first. Chưa có đóng góp nào từ cộng đồng. Bạn có thể là người đầu tiên.
?Quick Questions
Who is worshiped at Po Klong Garai Towers
The complex is dedicated to King Po Klong Garai (Po Klaung Garai), a Cham monarch celebrated for irrigation works who was deified by later generations and worshiped in the form of Shiva. The central image in the main sanctum is a sandstone mukhalinga (recognized as a national treasure in 2024), a linga carved with the head and neck of the king. This is a Cham Balamon Hindu sanctuary, not a Buddhist pagoda.
When were the Po Klong Garai Towers built
The extant three-tower complex was erected in the late 13th to early 14th century under King Jaya Simhavarman III (Chế Mân). According to the heritage dossier, the towers were built atop the foundations of an earlier structure dating to around the 11th century, showing that Trầu hill was already a sacred site prior to the 13th century.
Why is Po Klong Garai considered such an intact Cham complex
Because it preserves all three principal brick structures with their original roofs intact, namely the Main Sanctuary (Kalan, 20.5 meters tall), the Gateway Tower (Gopura, 8.56 meters tall), and the Fire Tower (Kosagrha, 9.31 meters tall). Beyond the architecture, the site has continuously maintained both its sacred mukhalinga in situ and the living liturgy of the Cham community.
When does the Katê Festival take place at Po Klong Garai
It opens on the 1st day of the 7th month of the Cham calendar, which usually falls in late September or early October. The temple ceremonies include the procession of royal vestments with the Raglai community, opening the tower door, bathing the mukhalinga, dressing the deity, and the grand sacrifice, after which celebrations continue in Cham villages and households.
Are Katê and Ramưwan the same festival
No. Katê is the festival of the Cham Balamon community, who practice localized Hinduism centered on the ancient temple towers. Ramưwan is the sacred month observed by the Cham Bani and Cham Islam communities, who practice Islam centered on clan cemeteries, mosques, and homes. The two observances differ in doctrine, priesthood, and calendar.