Attending and sharing the joy of the Kate Festival with the Cham people were representatives of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, leaders of departments, branches, localities in the province and tourists inside and outside the province. Kate is a traditional festival of the Cham people who follow Brahmanism. The festival has a long history and is maintained to this day. In Binh Thuan, the festival was restored in 2005 at Po Sha Inư Tower, a national relic in Phu Hai ward, Phan Thiet city with full rituals and unique traditional folk cultural values inherent in history, imbued with the spiritual and religious elements of the Cham people. It is meant to commemorate ancestors and grandparents, pray for favorable weather, bountiful crops; pray for harmony between couples, the growth of people and all things.
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| Traditional Cham dance performance opens Kate Festival 2023. |
The festival is held annually around the end of June and beginning of July of the Cham calendar in a large space from temples, towers to villages, clans and finally families. This is an opportunity for Cham people from all over the country to return to their homeland to reunite with their families, clans, villages and friends of their community.
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| Chairman of Binh Thuan Provincial People's Committee Doan Anh Dung presented gifts to congratulate Cham people on the occasion of Kate Festival 2023. |
This year's Kate Festival at Po Sah Inu Tower was expanded in scale with the participation of a large number of Cham people from 6 districts in the province, including Ham Thuan Bac, Tuy Phong, Bac Binh, Ham Thuan Nam, Ham Tan and Tanh Linh. Mr. Vo Thanh Huy, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Thuan province, said that the Kate Festival of the Cham people of Binh Thuan province at Po Sah Inu Tower this year is also an event in the series of activities of the National Tourism Year 2023 "Binh Thuan - Green Convergence" and to celebrate the 28th anniversary of Binh Thuan Tourism Day (October 24, 1995 - October 24, 2023). Kate in general and Kate at Po Sah Inư tower in particular are not only unique and typical traditional festivals associated with the social customs and beliefs of the Cham people, but also contribute to promoting and introducing the image, values and unique cultural features of the Cham people to tourists, serving the development of tourism in the province.
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| Venerable Thong Minh Toan, Vice Chairman of the Brahman Religious Clergy Council of Binh Thuan province, spoke at the ceremony. |
Speaking on behalf of the Cham people at the ceremony, the Chief Monk Thong Minh Toan, Vice Chairman of the Council of Brahman Religious Clergy of Binh Thuan province, expressed his deep gratitude to the Party, the State and local authorities at all levels for creating favorable conditions for the people to organize the Kate Festival at Po Sah Inu tower for nearly 20 years. At the same time, he affirmed that the Cham community in Binh Thuan will wholeheartedly fulfill their responsibility, join hands to build the great national unity bloc, contribute to protecting the homeland of Binh Thuan along with the overall development of the country.
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| Cham girls perform traditional ethnic dances at the Festival. |
Kate Festival is held with rituals in chronological order, traditional customs of the Cham people: Ceremony of inviting and carrying the costume of Goddess Po Sah Inư to the main tower; Ceremony of opening the temple and tower; Ceremony of bathing the Linga-Yoni altar; Ceremony of dressing the statue of the god, Grand Kate Ceremony in front of the main tower.
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| Cham girls carry Thon La to the main tower. |
The Kate Festival at Po Sah Inu Tower is held on October 13 and 14, including the Festival and the Ceremony. The Festival activities are held one day before the Ceremony with folk performances such as folk songs, folk dances; performances of traditional musical instruments such as Paranung drums, Ginang drums, Saranai trumpets; performances of pottery making, brocade weaving, etc. Along with that are games and performances imbued with Cham culture.
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| Cham youth invite and carry the Goddess Po Sah Inư's costume to the main tower. |
The festival attracted a large number of people, domestic and international tourists to attend and join in the festival atmosphere of the Cham community. On the occasion of Kate Festival 2023, representatives of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, Fatherland Front Committee of Binh Thuan province, departments, branches, organizations and localities visited and presented gifts to Cham people following Brahmanism in localities in the province.
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