This year’s holidays of the country’s anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification and International Workers' Day coincided with New Year celebration of Cham people; therefore, many Cham people from Ninh Thuan Province came to the national special monument of Po Nagar Temple (Nha Trang City) to pray for peace and happiness. This ritual ceremony bears the long-standing cultural beauty of Cham people in Ninh Thuan Province.
Cham people bringing offerings to Po Nagar Temple to pray for peace at the beginning of their New Year
15 members of Truong Thi Linh's family (Phuoc Hai Commune, Ninh Phuoc District, Ninh Thuan Province) came to Po Nagar Temple in early morning to organize New Year ritual ceremony. They wore their traditional costumes and carefully prepared offerings for the ceremony. The offerings were arranged in pairs to represent the harmony of yin and yang. The shaman checked the offerings and then performed the rituals such as praying for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, good crops, good health, and family harmony. After the rituals finished, all the family members enjoyed the blessed offerings. The rituals were performed at all of the towers. “This year’s New Year ritual ceremony coincides with the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification, so we feel happier and we perform the ceremony at bigger scale compared to the previous years," said Truong Thi Linh.
Cham people performing rituals at Po Nagar Temple
Cham people's New Year ritual ceremony is a part of Rija Festival, usually lasting about 2 weeks. During Rija Festival, Rija Nagar (also known as Rija Nưgar) is the biggest festival organized by the village communities. During this festival, villages organize ritual activities solemnly to dispel bad and unlucky things happened last year and pray for good things in new year. Additionally, Cham people also express their gratitude to those who formed the villages, contributed to the villages, and to the country’s ancestors. In addition to the rituals, there are traditional art performances to increase the joyful atmosphere in the beginning of year. After finishing their ritual ceremony, the families of Cham people in Ninh Thuan Province visit local temples and the temples in neighboring localities to perform New Year ritual ceremony. Po Nagar Temple in Nha Trang City is one of the popular ritual places chosen by Cham people because this temple worships Goddess Po Inu Nagar (Mother of Cham people) and other gods of the Cham. After finishing rituals at the temples, Cham families return to their home and perform the final New Year rituals.
Offerings prepared by Cham people to offer to their gods
Although Rija Festival is not regarded as Tet Festival as Kate Festival and Ramuwan Festival, it is also an important festival of Cham communities. Rija Festival takes place takes place during the transitional period between rainy and dry seasons. According to Dang Xuan Ky, a dignitary and prestigious person among Cham people, the New Year ritual ceremony signals the transition of weather and climate, which is significant for the agricultural activities; therefore, Cham communities deeply value this festival. Village-level Rija Nưgar Festival and family-level ritual ceremonies bear communal meaning and many cultural values of Cham people. These celebrations actively promote community values, strengthen neighborhood bond and foster a spirit of solidarity and mutual support.
Giang Dinh - Translated by H.N