Po Nagar Temple, Nha Trang – History
The
temple was originally a wooden structure and burnt down in 774 CE by
Javanese pirates. The
temple initially enshrined a mukhalinga in the sanctum and richly decorated
with jewelry. The Javanese pirates stolen the jewelry and had broken the Linga.
The
temple was rebuilt by Cham King Satyavarman in 784 CE following his victory
over Javanese pirates. The image of Goddess Bhagavati was installed in the sanctum
during the reconstruction of the
temple.
The idol was damaged during the
invasion of Khmer King Jayavarman II. The Cham military Senapati Par wrested the
control of the region from Khmers under the Cham King Harivarman I. He made
endowments in 817 and reinstalled the idol in the
temple. Vikrantavarman III, the son of Harivarman I also made endowments to
this temple. The Cham King Indravarman III installed a golden idol of goddess
Bhagavati in the sanctum in 918 CE.
The Khmer under Rajendravarman
II pillaged the temple of Po Nagar and carried off the golden idol of
the goddess during his invasion in 950 CE. The Cham King Jaya
Indravaman I restored the
temple at Po Nagar and installed a new sandstone idol of the goddess in
place of the stolen idol in the temple in 965 CE. An inscription dated to 1050
CE records the gift of land, slaves, jewelry, and precious metals made to the idol
by Jaya Parameshvaravarman I.
The title of Yapu Nagara / Yang
Pu Nagar was conferred upon the goddess by King Jaya Parameshvaravarman I in
1050 CE, by King Paramabodhisatva in 1084 CE, by King Jaya Harivarman in 1160 CE
and by Princess Ratnavali in 1256 CE, 1267 CE & 1275 CE. King Paramabodhisatva
made endowments to this
temple in 1084 CE after reuniting the country. King Jaya Indravarman III
gave a Shivalinga and a Shrishana Vishnu to the
temple in 1141 CE and made endowments in 1143 CE. King Jaya Harivarman I made
rich endowments in 1160 CE.
Jayavarman VII of the Khmer
Empire sacked the capital of Champa and carried all the Lingas as per an
inscription. A later period inscription records the celebration in honor of the
goddess Yan Po Nagar, as well as the deities related to Hinduism and Buddhism.
The Viet people occupied Champa in the 17th century and took
over the control of the
temple. They called the
temple as Thiên Y Thánh Mâu Temple. Po
Nagar Temple was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
as a national historic site in 1979.
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