Po Klong Garai Cham tower

The tower is named after the king of merit in Champa history – Po Klong Garai.

The tower is next to Thap Cham station – the symbol of Phan Rang Thap Cham.

Produced traditionally from clay in Song Quao basin (Ninh Phuoc district, 10km south of the actual tower), burning straw in the open air (open-air), different from most pottery villages in Vietnam (baking kiln) private).

Bau Truc Ninh Thuan Pottery is one of the few pottery villages in Southeast Asia that retains the original rudimentary pottery-making method.

Method: Clay is brought back, dried, smashed, and sieved to remove gravel. Incubate fine clay with water in the cellar. Knead the water onto the block. Sculpture. Smooth coffee. Dry. Bring out a pile of straw and firewood to burn for 8 hours.

Suitable for displaying office furniture, miniatures, garden, and spiritual gifts

Legend of Po Klong Garai Tower

Po Klong Garai Tower is the common name for a cluster of the most majestic and beautiful Cham towers in Vietnam, worshipping King Po Klong Garai. Po Klong Garai tower is a complex of three towers:

• The central tower (20.5m high)
• The fire tower (9.31m high)
• The gate tower (8.56m high)

This work has the highest level of architecture, art and sculpture. This architectural and artistic relic was ranked a national relic by the Ministry of Culture in 1979 and a unique national monument by the Prime Minister.

The most majestic and beautiful cluster of Cham towers is left in Vietnam. Photo: Tran An

Poklong Garai Tower is located on Trau hill, in Do Vinh ward, 9 km from the centre of Phan Rang – Thap Cham city to the northwest, built in the late 13th century and early 14th century (in the reign of King Shivaman, the Vietnamese called it as it was called by the Vietnamese. Che Man) to worship King Po Klong Garai (1151-1205), the king who had great merits in ruling the country.

A legend related to Poklong Garai tower says that in the old days in Play Chakling, there were two grandparents named On Pax and Muk Chakling; although they were old but had no children. Once, when they went to the sea to hunt for crabs and catch snails, their grandparents saw a baby floating on the water, so they brought it home, raised it, and named it Karit.

Karat grew up to be a beautiful, well-mannered girl, so she was loved by many people. Karat and his father went to the forest to collect firewood one day. It was hot, and father and son were thirsty, but no rivers or streams were around. Suddenly Karat saw a rock with clear water on top and immediately came to drink. Strangely, no matter how much she drank, the water in the stone overflowed. But when she went to call her father to drink, there was not a drop of water.

After that, Karat became pregnant and gave birth to a boy who was already ugly and very hungry. His grandparents named him Jato. Karat couldn’t stand the gossip that she was an illegitimate pregnant girl, so she left the child to be adopted by her grandparents. The bigger the baby, the uglier I get, and I’m full of scabies, so not many children want to play together. When his grandparents died, he also grew up. He and his friend Po Klonchanh went to trade betel nuts. One day on the way back, Jatol felt tired, so he rested on a rock on the side of the road. Po Klonchanh comes back first and brings the rice to you. When he returned to Po Klonchanh, he saw two white dragons licking Jatol’s body. Po Klonchanh ran, the two dragons disappeared, and strangely, Jatol became an unusually handsome and handsome young man. That strange omen gradually spread throughout the region and then reached the ears of King Nuhol, who was in charge of Iaru. Knowing that Jatol would be an outstanding genius, King Nuhol sent for Jato. True to the rumours, the king kept Jatol and married Princess Thakor.

Po Klong Garai Tower. Photo: Jasper Waale

In 1167, King Xulika of Balcriba, who died, had no successor. Knowing that Jatol was a talented man, the courtiers let the white elephant take it back to the throne. Jato became king, claiming to be Po Klong Garai. After five years, he moved the capital to Bal Hangar. At that time, Panduranga, his hometown, was regularly attacked by the  Chen Lap army. Po Klong Garai had to bring troops to Panduranga to support and quell the rebellion. According to Cham historical records, in the year of the Ox and the Cham calendar, King Po Klong Garai from Balcriba went to Panduranga to see the terrain to build a tower to commemorate his childhood. When he reached the Balhul region, he was stopped by the Burmese general Hakral, who was ruling this county. King Po Klong Garai did not want useless bloodshed, so he challenged General Mien to build a tower; whoever finished building first would win. Knowing that it was challenging to defeat King Po Klong Garai with military force, Hakral accepted. King Po Klong Garai built the tower on Balhla hill, and General Hakral made it in the Balhul region. In the end, the side of King Po Klong Garai, with his intelligence completed; first, General Hakral lost and had to withdraw his troops.

Source: wikipedia