| Thap Ba (Po Nagar Cham Towers) |
| One tower is the shrine to Xiva, one of three most powerful deities in
Hinduism. One tower is dedicated to Ganexa, the son of Xiva. This deity has a
human body and an elephant head. Po Nagar is the tallest tower, also known as
Thap Ba (Tower of the Lady). Po Nagar or Uma is the wife of Xiva the supreme. Po
Nagar towers stands 23m in height and was built around 817.
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Bricks were used in the building of Po Nagar. The four-sided structure is
topped by a pyramid with a statue of the four armed Xiva riding Nandin the
enchanted ox at the apex. The exterior of the tower is covered by intricate rock
carvings of dancers, people rowing boats, grinding rice or hunting with bows and
arrows.
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The interior is airy and cool. An alter made of granite is placed at the
base of the statue of Po Nagar. Po Nagar is a goddess with ten arms. She is also
the goddess credited for her help with teaching people how to farm. Her statue
was originally made out of hard incense wood. The statue was removed by the
French in 1946. A new statue with more Vietnamese features is its replacement.
The Po Nagar towers complex is an example of Chams architecture and art at its
height.
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