When traveling to Ninh Thuan, do not miss the Kate Ninh Thuan festival. The festival includes traditional rituals and artistic performances imbued with the unique culture of the Cham people. The interesting activities at the Kate festival in Ninh Thuan will definitely bring you memorable experiences.
1. Introduction to Ninh Thuan Kate Festival
Currently, the Brahmanical Cham community has more than 53,700 people living in Thuan Nam, Thuan Hai, Ninh Hai, Ninh Phuoc districts and Phan Rang Thap Cham city. Ninh Thuan Kate Festival is the biggest festival of the Cham people who follow Brahmanism.
According to traditional customs, on the 1st day of the 7th day of the Cham calendar, Cham tower and temple areas including Po Rome tower, Po Klong Garai tower, Po Inu Nugar temple will begin to open and organize costume procession activities. or perform traditional religious, cultural, and artistic rituals. With great historical and cultural value, Ninh Thuan Kate Festival was officially recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017.
2. Origin of Kate festival of Cham people in Ninh Thuan
The origin of the Kate festival is a question many tourists ask when learning about this festival. The word Kate is derived from the Indian Sanskrit word Kattika and the Hindu word Katik. In a narrow sense, this word means worshiping ceremony in the 7th month of the Cham calendar. In a broad sense, Kate refers to a festival to commemorate gods, ancestors or figures who have made great contributions to the nation.
Therefore, the Kate festival of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan has the typical identity of the ancient Champa kingdom. Later, due to the influence of Muslim and Indian cultures, this festival had some changes. This is reflected in the fact that the three religious communities, including Cham Islam, Cham Awal and Cham Ahier, all have the same initial rituals and ceremonies. Later, the rituals of each community were different due to influence from Muslim and Hindu culture.
3. What is the purpose of Kate Festival held?
What is the purpose of Kate Festival held? The significance of the Kate festival is very great. This is an opportunity for the Cham community to remember the gods, kings, ancestors, and at the same time pray for a year of good weather and good harvests.
4. How does Ninh Thuan Kate Festival take place?
Some information about Kate Ninh Thuan festival is as follows:
Venue:
-ย ย Po Inu Nugar Temple: Huu Duc, Phuoc Huu, Ninh Phuoc
-ย ย Po Klong Garai Tower: Do Vinh, Phan Rang Thap Cham city
-ย ย Po Rome Tower: Hau Sanh, Phuoc Huu, Ninh Phuoc
Time: The festival takes place for 3 days, starting from July 1 according to the Cham calendar (approximately September 25 - October 5 according to the Cham calendar).
Ninh Thuan Kate Festival is held in a large space with an extremely vibrant and bustling atmosphere. The rituals will start from temples, towers, villages and each family.
Kate festival at temples and towers
The beginning of the Kate festival in Ninh Thuan is a sacrificial ceremony at the temple and tower directed by a priest. The celebrant will play the Kanhi and sing a hymn, making an offering to the gods. Afterwards, the priest will preside over the statue bathing ceremony performed by a number of Brahmin monks.
Offerings during the Ninh Thuan Kate festival at the tower temple include: 3 chickens, 1 large goat, 3 loaves of rice cakes, 1 tray of rice with sesame salt, 5 trays of rice with goat meat and soup with fresh fruits. In addition, the offerings also include eggs, wine, sticky rice, betel and areca nuts...
The Kate festival process of Cham people in Ninh Thuan at temples and towers is as follows:
-ย ย The ceremony of receiving clothes from the youngest brother, Raglai, coming down from the mountain at 7:00 am
-ย ย Open the tower door and invite the gods to attend and enjoy the offerings
-ย ย Bathing ceremony of idols
-ย ย Clothing ceremony for the statue of Anguei Khan Aw Kapo
-ย ย The most important Adaoh Tam ceremony, starting from 9am - 11am
After completing the above rituals, people will return to the village and continue other rituals.
Kate Festival in villages and families
The worshiping ritual and the festival part of the Ninh Thuan Kate festival are held in parallel. Before the festival, the villagers will work together to clean the temple, decorate the Village House, and prepare food, drinks, a yard... Not only that, the people also prepare many artistic performances. Unique art to entertain at the festival.
Similar to the rituals at the temples and towers, the rituals in the village are also performed solemnly. According to belief, each village will worship a god, but they are all village gods, similar to Kinh people worshiping the village Thanh Hoang. The celebrant in the village does not have to be a religious dignitary but must be a reputable person who is trusted by the villagers. On behalf of the people, he offered offerings to the gods to pray for good things, luck, and peace.
After ending the Kate festival in the village, Cham people will return to their homes to hold the ceremony. The master of ceremonies is the eldest person in the clan. This is the person who will present offerings to the ancestors on behalf of the whole family. At this time, all family members are fully present, dressed neatly and sincerely pray for their ancestors to hope for good things.
Ninh Thuan Kate Festival will be held on July 1 according to the Cham calendar, around October of the solar calendar. Therefore, visitors can come to Ninh Thuan at this time to immerse themselves in the joyful atmosphere and admire the solemn rituals of the Kate festival. Regarding Kate Ninh Thuan festival outfit, you should choose comfortable and dynamic clothes to easily move. If visitors come to watch the festival's rituals, they should wear polite, discreet clothing.