With the aim to promote cultural value of the Cham fold arts to contribute to tourism attraction, Kate Festival is an annual cultural event at Po Sha Inu Cham tower (Phu Hai-Phan Thiet city). This year’s festival is scheduled to take place between September 27 and 28 (or the and of the sixth and the beginning of the seventh month of the Cham calendar), with a series of traditional ceremonies and rituals. The ceremonial part, which is expected to be undertaken by the Cham dignitaries from Ham Thuan Bac district, includes the ritual to worship at the main tower, costume procession, the opening the tower gate, ritual of bathing the altar of Linga-Yoni, dressing the costume of Po Sha Inu Goddess and great ceremony to celebrate Kate.
Apart from traditional rituals, local people and visitors will aslo enjoy several cultural, sporting events and folk games during the two-day festival, as follows: contest to display and decorate offerings for the Cham artisans from the districts of Ham Thuan Bac, Bac Binh, Tuy Phong, Ham Thuan Nam, tanh Linh and Ham Tan; Cham artistic program performed by artists of Bien Xanh Music and Dnace Troupe in collaboration with members of Cham traditional arts groups from many localities.
Translated by Phuong Lan (Source: Binh Thuan Newspaper)