A Cham tower is a religious structure of the Cham people, heirs to Sa Huynh culture. Cham towers are built of bricks and sandstone with influence exerted by Indian culture prior to the 17th century…
A Cham tower is a religious structure of the Cham people, heirs to Sa Huynh culture. Cham towers are built of bricks and sandstone with influence exerted by Indian culture prior to the 17th century. Cham architectural works (towers, statues, stone carved images, etc.) are found in many parts of Central Vietnam from Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue provinces to Thuan Hai Ninh Thuan Binh Thuan provinces. Many of them are of high value, such as the Cham tower complex in My Son, which many Western scholars regard as equivalent to Angkor (in Cambodia), Pagan (in Burma) and Borodur (in Indonesia) in terms of artistic values.
Cham towers have the following architectural features:
There are two main forms of roofs: square flat roof and pointed roof (small towers pilling on each other).
Towers are of various sizes, some being 24 metres in height. Square towers are dominant. There are also towers with a rectangular base floor and roof that is curved like a boat (for example, the BS-My Son tower), which are quite common among the peoples of Southeast Asia, of whom the Cham is an integral part. Such a tower has the entrance oriented to the east and houses altars dedicated to the cult of Gods.
Cham towers are built with bricks combined with sand stone ornamental pieces and fragments. The brick-building techniques of the Cham are highly developed. The bricks (31cm x 17cm x 5cm) are tightly placed on one another without any mortar; this technology is still a mystery to researchers.
In the Cham tower there are numerous carvings of flowers, leaves, animals and human beings, with rich motifs that show the features the art of each historical period. The towers built prior to the 11th century are marked by their harmony and grandeur. The 10th century towers look heavier but maintain their imposing beauty. (Dong Duong style). Some are marked by harmony in proportion and decorations, which give them an exquisite and subtle beauty (My Son style).
Cham architecture started declining from the 11th century. The towers of this period look much heavier in form and the decorations are simpler, which gives us the feeling of rigidity and lack of vividness. From the 12th to 14th century, Cham architecture further declined and fell into decay in the subsequent period. Below are 3 representative groups of Cham towers.
The Ponagar architectural monument and tower group lies 2 km to the North of Nha Trang town and is located on the Cu Lao hill, near the mouth of the Cai river. This architectural-religious complex is dedicated to the cult of Ponagar, the Mother Goddess of the Cham Liu ethnic group (Coconut), and the Sea Mother Goddess. Both Goddesses were Protectors of the Champa Kingdom extended from Kauthara to Panduranga (present-day Khanh Hoa – Ninh Thuan area).
Cham Ponagar tower, Nha Trang
These monuments were built between the 8th and the 13th century. The main Ponagar Tower contains inscriptions bearing testimonies to the then history, religious beliefs, spiritual life, and social structure.
At first, the Ponagar tower was made of wood (prior to the 8th century). But it was burnt down by Javanese pirates in 774, and was rebuilt in 784 with baked bricks and stone. With a height of 22,8m, Ponagar is the highest Cham tower in the region. It also contains a rostrum for the worship of Bharagati, a ten-armed God, who plays a role similar to that of Ponagar. The present Ponagar tower is what has remained since 1050 when some repairs were carried out under the supervision of King Jaya Paramesvara Varman. Other monuments around the Ponagar tower have also been repaired several times.
The tower has a body part and three storeys, and at the top a linga-shaped stone is placed. Close to it is the Nam Tower with a square body and a round roof. To the North-East is a two-storey temple which looks like a house on stilts with a boat-shaped roof, reminiscent of the primitive house on stilts carved on the Dong Son bronze drum.
There are on the site several linga-yoni sets. The stone pillar symbolizing the male genital organ is fixed on a square platform representing the female genital organ, with a small groove around, which is elongated to the north.
Porome tower
The Porome architectural complex is located in present-day Hau Sanh village (Palei Thuon) , Huu Duc commune, Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province. It was built between the 15th and 16th century.
It comprises:
– a tower (Kalan) dedicated to King Porome
– a small temple dedicated to Queen Porome
– a stone worshiping tablet (Kut) dedicated to Queen Porome
The Cham religious constructions of the subsequent periods are usually I made of wood, with tiled roofs. They look more lightweight but are more vulnerable to erosion. The Kut (tomb or stone worshiping tablet) demonstrates some influence from Vietnamese architecture.
Cham towers in My Son
The group of Cham towers in My Son is located in Duy Xuyen commune Quang Nam province, 70 km to the South-West of Da Nang City. This is a group of Hindu architectural monuments com-prising temples and towers built in a round valley, 1.5 km in diameter, between the 7th and the 13th century. The Cham Kings made My Son a reserve
Capital be used in case Tra Kieu was threatened with attack. Archaeological excavations show a number of tombs designed for cremated Cham Kings. Cham architecture started to prevail in My Son from the 4th century (during the reign of Bhadravarman) with the construction of temples dedicated to the cult of the Linga and supreme God Bhadresvara, the Protector all Cham royal rulers.
At first, the monuments were built with wood. After many serious fires, Kings Rudravarman and Sambhuvarman decided to build monuments and towers with bricks. The entrance of the temples and towers in My Son always faces the East These constructions give us an idea of the changes in Cham architecture over the centuries. My Son was recognized by the UNESCO as world cultural heritage site in 1999.
