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SITE
My Son was a centre for spirituality and worship
during the reign of the Champa Kingdom. The My Son Sanctuary,
which exemplifies the height of Cham architectural achievement,
is a large complex of religious monuments originally comprised
of more than 70 structures; the vestiges of 25 of these structures
remain today. The builders of My Son were the nobility of the
Champa Kingdom who derived their cultural and spiritual influences
almost exclusively from India. The Cham people worshiped the trinity
of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, although Shiva was the central figure
of worship for most people. Shiva was usually portrayed in one
of two forms: as the figure of a man, and very often in his symbolic
manifestation, the lingam, which was usually a stone embellished
with incisions placed on a stone slab. The lingam represented
both the cult of Shivaism and the divine authority Shiva bestowed
upon the king. The Cham people erected monumental towers - the
main component of Cham architectural design - to house the lingam.
My Son was once a veritable forest of towers, many of which were
destroyed by the ravages of time and war.
All of the Cham towers at My Son were built on square or rectangular
foundations and were comprised of three parts; the tower base representing
the world of humans, the tower body representing the world of spirits,
and the tower head - usually built in the shape of a lotus - representing
the realm between the two worlds. The structures were usually built
of baked bricks and sandstone.
Most experts consider the main tower at My Son, dubbed A1
by archaeologists and researchers, a masterpiece of Cham architecture.
Originally it spanned three storeys and reached a height of 24
metres. Inside, the walls were covered with reliefs; across from
the entrance were reliefs depicting a dancing Shiva, on the first
storey images of dancing females, and on the upper storeys elephants
and lions were depicted. The tower is surrounded by six smaller
towers. Unfortunately, tower A1 was severely damaged by US bombs
in 1969. Apart from the main tower devoted to Shiva, there are
numerous smaller towers and temples dedicated to the worship of
lesser gods.
CONSERVATION
This unique site is now in a state of
significant disrepair. The monuments are covered with vegetation,
which has grown unimpeded for years. Relics that have not already
been relocated or stolen are strewn about, and lie exposed to
the elements.
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