Falling on the first day of the seventh month of the Cham calendar, Kate is the biggest event in the year of the Cham followers of Brahman ism. It pays respect to gods and prays for productive harvests and multiple natural and human resources.
In 2017, the Kate Festival was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The Kate Festival is one of the 15 biggest festivals in Vietnam, attracting thousands of domestic and international visitors every year.
There are about 153,000 Cham people in Vietnam, most of them living in the central provinces of Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan.
This year, the festival took place on October 4-6.
In Ninh Thuan province, the festival is held at the three Champa Towers – Po Nagar, Po Klong Garai and Po Rome. The main purpose of the festival is to commemorate Cham heroes like Po Klong Garai and Po Rome, and also deaths in families. This is also a chance for local people to relax and wish one another good fortune.
The rituals begin with ceremonies to welcome costumes, the opening of the temple gates, “bathing” the statues of the gods and changing their costumes. The main ceremony includes offerings of goat meat, chicken, rice, wine, fruit and more. When the sacred dances end, boisterous parties are held until the evening of the second festival day.
The last day of Kate takes place in villages, where offerings are made at the village community house, and prayers are sent. Those performing these acts are widely respected among villagers and are proficient at traditional customs. On behalf of their community, they communicate with the gods, offering them oblations and asking for luck for the people. This is followed by folk games, weaving competitions, and performances of folk songs.
Kate provides an opportunity for visitors to explore the beauty of the Cham culture, from its well-preserved ancient architecture to its costumes, instruments and traditional songs used to praise their kings in the past.
The Kate Festival in photos:
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Mưnay Yang ritual. |
 |
| Pơhbăng yang ritual. |
 |
| Fan dance (Tamia tadik). |
 |
 |
Pham Quang Vinh
