Thap Ba Festival

Thap Ba Festival is an annual event organized in the site of Po Nagar Cham Towers from the 20th to the 23th of the 3rd month of a Lunar Year. It is the biggest festival in the province to commemorate Po InoNogar, the Goddess that takes care of the well-being of the region. According to the old tales, Po InoNogar is the one who created this land, protecting each generation and teach people to farm.

Usually, because of the long procedure, the festival lasts for several days. There are two different parts. First of all, on the 20th, old costumes and hat are removed from the statue of the Goddess. Then, people carefully wash it with a special lotion made of fragrant leaves before putting new costumes and hat on the statue. The next important part of the festival is carried out on the 23rd. People worship the Goddess, admiring her good acts and wishing for a peaceful, rich and happy life for every inhabitant.

Photo: thuonggiaoonline.com - Thap Ba Festival

After the ceremony, several performances are then showed to the public. The most impressive one is the Ball Dance: a traditional dance of the Cham people which is carved on the wall of Po Nagar Towers. The boat racing competition is also a great addition to the cheerful atmosphere of the festival.
Nowadays, Thap Ba Festival attracts not only Kinh people and Cham people in Nha Trang, but also many visitors from other parts of the country, who are excited to learn about the unique culture of Champa.