Ninh Thuan preserves traditional festival of Cham ethnic group

As usual, on the 1st day of the seventh month according to Cham calendar, Brahmans Cham ethnic people in Ninh Thuan Province in Vietnam organize Kate Festival to honour Gods of Po Klong Garai, Po Rome, and make offerings to ancestors with wishes of prosperous country, abundant crop, happy family.

In 2014, Kate Festival will take place from 22nd to 24th October in Po Nagar Temple (Huu Duc Hamlet, Ninh Phuoc District), Po Rome Tower (Hau Sanh Hamlet, Ninh Phuoc District) and Po Klong Garai Tower (Do Vinh Ward, Phan Rang – Thap Cham City). In addition, the festival will also be held in Cham villages and Brahmans families in Ninh Thuan Province.

In the temple and towers, Kate Festival will take place in two days of 22nd and 23rd October with rituals in turn as tower opening ceremony, statue bathing ceremony, costume wearing ceremony, offering and dance to celebrate Kate Festival. After the rituals in the temple and towers, on the 24th October, Cham people will organize Kate Festival in Brahmans Cham villages (My Nghiep and Bau Truc villages in Ninh Phuoc District) with excellent culture, art, sports activities such as: contests of weaving fabric, making pottery, carrying water jar; pottery exhibition in families; Kate worship; Cham folk art performances; folk games... On this occasion, Kate Festival in the families will also be held to gather all family members and pray for prosperity and good luck.

Ninh Thuan preserves many unique cultural features of Cham ethnic people. To Kate Festival, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about Cham culture, belief, religion through Po Klong Garai Towers Complex, Bau Truc Pottery Village, My Nghiep Weaving Village, traditional songs and dances, sounds of Ka Nhi, Ghi-nang and Baranung drums...

To prepare for Kate Festival 2014, Ninh Thuan Province People's Committee directed departments and localities in the province to facilitate for Cham people to hold Kate Festival in the temple and towers; at the same time organize culture, art, sports activities to serve local people and visitors in the areas of Brahmans Cham people. In addition, leaders of Ninh Thuan Province People's Committe will also visit and encourage religious dignitaries and some typical Cham families who actively take part in social works and implement well patriotic emulation movement.