Po Sah Inu tower in Phan Thiet city (Photo: VNA)Binh Thuan (VNA) – The Cham Brahman ethnic peoplein the south central province of Binh Thuan are celebrating their yearly Kate Festival from October 4-6.
To ensure COVID-19 prevention and control,especially amid complex developments of the pandemic in the province’s Phan Thietcity, this year's celebration is not held at Po Sah Inu tower as usual.
The managing board of the tower and dignitaries in Ham Thuan Bac district on October 5performed the most important ritual of the festival in a simple, solemn andsafe manner, closely following COVID-19 preventive measures.
Followers were called on to celebrate the festival with theirfamilies, refrain from gathering in crowds and going outside in order to curb thespread of the pandemic.
Falling on the first day of the seventh month of the Chamcalendar, Kate is the biggest event in the year of the Cham followers ofBrahmanism to pay respect to gods and pray for productive harvests and multiplenatural and human resources.
In 2017, the Kate Festival was recognised as an intangiblecultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is one ofthe 15 biggest festivals in the country, attracting thousands of domestic andinternational visitors every year.
There are about 153,000 Cham people in Vietnam, of whom over41,000 live in Binh Thuan, mainly in Bac Binh, Tuy Phong, Ham Thuan Bac and Tanh Linhdistricts./.
