Promoting Rija Nagar ritual in theatrical form

Recently, performances of Rija Nagar ritual, an important festival of Cham Bani and Cham Brahman people, have been performed at the special national monument of Po Nagar Temple in theatrical form, helping the public learn more about the unique cultural features of Cham community.

Performance of Rija Nagar ritual is performed in the ceremony honoring special national monument Po Nagar Temple and Khanh Hoa aloewood

The performances of Rija Nagar ritual were performed at the opening night of Po Nagar Temple 2025; in the artistic program namely the moon shines on the towers on the 15th every lunar month; and in the ceremony honoring Po Nagar Temple as special national monument and folk knowledge of exploiting and processing Khanh Hoa aloewood as national intangible cultural heritage. According to Quang Dai Hung, secretary of the Council of Cham Brahmins dignitaries, Rija Nagar ritual is an important festival of Cham Brahmins and Cham Bani people, usually taking place at the beginning of a new year according to Cham people’s calendar (April in solar calendar). Cham people celebrate Rija Nagar ritual with activities such as cleaning village, temples, houses, etc. and prepare offerings made from local products to offer to the gods and ancestors.

Performances of Rija Nagar ritual are performed by Cham artisans with traditional musical instruments such as ghinang, saranai and paranung. A man plays the role of Ka-ing dresses up and dances ritual dances with different props to portray the gods. Meanwhile, the band plays music dedicated to each god.

A man playing the role of Ka-ing

Although the performance of Rija Nagar ritual only takes place in 10 minutes, this unique ritual of Cham people often capture the audience’s interest. This performance is a combination of traditional art forms of Cham people. “I really enjoy watching this performance. I like the combination of musical instruments, unique songs and dances performed by Cham artists,” said Phan Thanh Phuc (a tourist from Da Nang City).

According to Le Van Hoa, deputy director of Khanh Hpa Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Khanh Hoa Province is home to deeply preserved Champa cultural values. Therefore, it's crucial to promote and introduce the Cham people's tangible and intangible cultural heritages. With the province's tourism booming, staging Cham people’s rituals and ceremonies is essential to develop more cultural products for tourism.

GIANG DINH
Translated by H.N