Po Sah Inu Tower, also known as Poshanu Tower (or more accurately, Poshanu Tower Complex), was built around the end of the 8th century and completed at the beginning of the 9th century, originally intended for worship of Shiva, one of the supreme deities of Hinduism.
General information about Po Sah Inu Tower
Po Sah Inu Tower is located on Ba Nai Hill, approximately 7km from the center of Phan Thiet Ward, to the northeast. The attraction of the Poshanu tower lies in its architecture. This is truly a masterpiece of the Cham people who have left. Although the tower is modest in scale, it preserves the most quintessential architectural techniques and decorative arts of the ancient Champa Kingdom.
- Location: Ba Nai Hill, Phu Thuy Ward, Lam Dong Province.
- Opening hours: 7:00 – 17:00
- Reference ticket price: 7,000 – 15,000 VND/person
Admire the impressive architecture of the ancient structure in Po Sah Inu Tower
These towers were designed in the Hoa Lai architectural style, an ancient art form of Champa. Currently, there are only three towers remaining (main tower, medium tower, and small tower).
The main tower is the largest and tallest tower in the group. The tower is 16m high. With 3 floors in total, the two upper floors are identical in architecture to the lower floor, but gradually reduce in size and in architectural and artistic details. Just like that, gradually getting smaller and soaring to the top along with the tower roof. Halfway up the tower’s roof, there are 4 vents in 4 directions, to ventilate and exhaust hot air inside the tower, partly creating balance between inside and outside, harmony between gods and heaven and earth.
A view from inside, look up to the top of Po Sah Inu tower.
This is a fairly intact work from the Po Sah Inu tower cluster, featuring dense rows of carvings depicting flowers and strange imagery. Inside the main tower, there are smooth stones of Linga and Yoni set in the middle of the altar.
Place to worship Shiva with a smooth stone Linga – Yoni set in the main tower.
The medium tower is located separately, about 12m high, and is essentially similar to the main tower but simpler. Previously, there was a stone bull, named Namdin, worshiped here. However, the stone had disappeared. In 1995, during an excavation, a stone cow’s foot and ear were found.
The small tower now stands at a height of more than 4m; the Art Deco exterior has eroded over time, leaving only a few original lines. This tower is worshiping the deity of fire.
Most of the main features of the architecture: all the masonry and sculptures of the entire group of towers were completely made of fired bricks before construction. The adhesive is a vegetable resin.
The pillars against the wall are cylindrical, notably the two outside the Main Tower door. The walls are rarely decorated with patterns; they are often left plain or deeply textured with rectangular tiles.
Po Sah Inu Tower – A place to preserve the cultural and spiritual values of the Cham people
Not only is the architecture associated with the deep love story of Poshanu, Princess of Para Chanh. She was admired for her virtue and conduct. She taught local people how to grow rice, plant, construct irrigation works, and breed.
Every year, Po Sah Inu Tower attracts a large number of Cham people who come to pray for peace, alongside traditional rituals, to express their gratitude to ancestors and their devotion, passed down from generation to generation.
The Kate Festival of the Cham people is celebrated in Po Sah Inu Tower (Source: Vietnamnet)
The main festivals include the Rija Nùga Festival, Poh Mbang, held in the first lunar month, and the Kate Festival, with many special performances in July (lunar calendar). This is an opportunity for tourists to witness traditional dances performed with unique musical instruments, including the Ginang drum, Paranung drum, gong, Xaranai trumpet, and Gron…
In 1991, the Po Sah Inu Tower was designated a national architectural monument by Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Therefore, visiting the tower is one of the great things to do in Binh Thuan.
Source: collected by An
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