Po klaung garai
Encyclopedia
Po Klong Garai is a Cham
temple tower located in the medieval Cham principality of Panduranga, near the city of Phan Rang in what is now southern Vietnam
. It was built in honor of the legendary king Po Klaung Garai by the historic King Jaya Simhavarman III, who ruled Champa from c. 1285 to 1307 and is called Chê Mân in Vietnamese.
by destiny, ruling wisely and for the good of the people. When the Khmer
of Cambodia
invaded his kingdom, he challenged them to settle the matter peacefully in a tower-building contest. Po Klaung Garai prevailed in the contest, thereby obliging the invaders to return home. After his death, Po Klaung Garai became a god and protector of the people on earth; it is said that the tower he built in his contest with the Khmer is the tower that today is known by his name.
s from an earlier period suggests that Jaya Simhavarman may merely have restored and added to structures that were already in place.
An inscription at Po Klaung Garai dated 1050. commemorated the military victory of two Cham princes (presumably representing the northern dynasty of Indrapura headquartered near My Son) over the people of Panduranga in southern Champa. According to the inscription, the victorious princes celebrated by erecting two lingas and a victory column.
of Cham art and architecture. It consists of three brick towers: a main tower with three stories, a smaller gate tower, and an elongated tower with a saddle-like roof. The group of buildings is well-preserved, and "is distinguished by the purity of its outlines and the austerity of its decor." Over the front door of the main tower is a sculpture of the god Siva
that is regarded as one of the masterpieces of the Thap Mam Style. The remaining images are less impressive, revealing "an art in terminal decline, due to its stiffness and arid workmanship." The tower with the saddle-like roof is said to be dedicated to the God of Flame, Thang Chuh Yang Pui.
The primary religious image in the temple is a mukhalinga of the 16th or 17th century. A mukhalinga is a linga with a human face. In general, the linga is the emblem of the Hindu
god Siva
, but the Cham say that this one is a statue of King Po Klaung Garai. The temple is still the site of Cham religious festivals.
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
temple tower located in the medieval Cham principality of Panduranga, near the city of Phan Rang in what is now southern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. It was built in honor of the legendary king Po Klaung Garai by the historic King Jaya Simhavarman III, who ruled Champa from c. 1285 to 1307 and is called Chê Mân in Vietnamese.
Legend of King Po Klaung Garai
According to legend, Po Klaung Garai started life as a lowly cowherd, but became king of ChampaChampa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
by destiny, ruling wisely and for the good of the people. When the Khmer
Khmer people
Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
invaded his kingdom, he challenged them to settle the matter peacefully in a tower-building contest. Po Klaung Garai prevailed in the contest, thereby obliging the invaders to return home. After his death, Po Klaung Garai became a god and protector of the people on earth; it is said that the tower he built in his contest with the Khmer is the tower that today is known by his name.
History of the Temple
The Cham King Jaya Simhavarman III (Viet: Chê Mân) is credited with constructing the tower in honor of Po Klaung Garai toward the end of the 13th century. However, the presence of several steleStele
A stele , also stela , is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab...
s from an earlier period suggests that Jaya Simhavarman may merely have restored and added to structures that were already in place.
An inscription at Po Klaung Garai dated 1050. commemorated the military victory of two Cham princes (presumably representing the northern dynasty of Indrapura headquartered near My Son) over the people of Panduranga in southern Champa. According to the inscription, the victorious princes celebrated by erecting two lingas and a victory column.
Site of the Temple
The temple of Po Klaung Garai belongs to what is known as the Thap Mam StyleArt of Champa
Champa was an Indic civilization that flourished along the coasts of what is now central and southern Vietnam for roughly a one thousand year period between 500 AD and 1500 AD. The original Chams were probably colonists from the Indonesian islands, who adopted as their principal vocations those of...
of Cham art and architecture. It consists of three brick towers: a main tower with three stories, a smaller gate tower, and an elongated tower with a saddle-like roof. The group of buildings is well-preserved, and "is distinguished by the purity of its outlines and the austerity of its decor." Over the front door of the main tower is a sculpture of the god Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
that is regarded as one of the masterpieces of the Thap Mam Style. The remaining images are less impressive, revealing "an art in terminal decline, due to its stiffness and arid workmanship." The tower with the saddle-like roof is said to be dedicated to the God of Flame, Thang Chuh Yang Pui.
The primary religious image in the temple is a mukhalinga of the 16th or 17th century. A mukhalinga is a linga with a human face. In general, the linga is the emblem of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
god Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, but the Cham say that this one is a statue of King Po Klaung Garai. The temple is still the site of Cham religious festivals.