Po Nagar Temple, Nha Trang – History

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 17^th 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.