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Ponagar Temple- a mystery of Champa architecture
June 19, 2015 5252 views
(Cinet )- Ponagar Temple is considered as the most scenic of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa, a typical temple complex of architecture and sculpture of Champa.
Ponagar Temple temple is located on top of a small hill, about 50 meters higher than sea level, also called Thap Ba mountain, far from downtown Nha Trang around 2 km to the north. The overall architecture of Ponagar Temple consists of 3 floors, going from bottom to top. On the lower floor, there used to be the gate tower which now no longer exists. From there, stone stairs leads to the middle floor.
On the second floor called Mandapa for pilgrims to rest and prepare gifts. Mandapa is 20 meters in length, 15 meters in width, including 4 octagonal columns. On the body of large columns, there are mortises, carved into the shaft, symmetrical flush with the top of the small columns.
The top floor is where the tower was built in Champa style. The main tower in front being sizable and about 23 meters in high, which is the Po Nagar towers.
Tower has 4 floors, doors, statues and animal-shaped rock are presented in each floor. A 2.6 –meter- high statue carved in black granite is located inside the tower. Tourists can easily see a statue of the Shiva god riding Nandin buffalo god and the mascots on the top.
On annual ceremony (from 20 to 23 in the third month lunar calendar), thousands of traveler pilgrims as well as people in the area are welcomed to the Ponagar Temple Festival in order to commemorate the Po Inu Nagar God.
Anh Le
- Ponagar Temple is considered as the most scenic of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa, a typical temple complex of architecture and sculpture of Champa.)
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