Po Nagar

Main temple of the goddess Yan Po Nagar

32 m

Po Nagar is a former Hindu temple complex of the Champa kingdom in Nha Trang, a coastal city in southern Vietnam. The temple was founded around the middle of the 8th century by the Cham, expanded in the 9th century and rebuilt after its destruction in the 11th century. The main temple ( Cham - Language: kalan ) from the 11th century is the last major monument of Cham architecture.

It is named after the local guardian goddess Po Nagar, also Yan Pu Nagara. It is in connection with the Cham - fertility goddess Uroja ( " mother's breast " ), in form of a serpent ( naga ) appearing creator deity and with the Indian goddess Bhagavati (also Durga ), the wife of Shiva. The location of the temple overlooking the sea also establishes a relationship with the divine Queen Nyai Loro Kidul Indonesia.

Temple Goddess

The revered in the temple goddess has many names. It should be read in conjunction with the Khmer culture that finds its climax in Angkor Wat. In Vietnam, the goddess is worshiped as Thiên Y Thánh Mau. Countless Vietnamese legends about the goddess Thien Y Thánh Mau and their temple. To date, Thien Y Thánh Mau is the patron goddess of Nha Trang.

Building

From a stele, which is dated to the year 781 AD, it appears that the king of Cham, Satyavarman, have restored a ruined temple in the region of present-day Nha Trang to restore his power.

The plant was built of fired red bricks on a hill, it overlooks the estuary of the River Song Cai in the South China Sea. It consists of a meditation hall at the foot of the hill and four solitary temples dedicated to the Hindu gods Hanuman, Ganesh, Shiva and Yan Po Nagar. The tower of the main temple has a height of about 32 meters.

The entire system has been restored and is now in a very good condition.