VietNamNet Bridge - The Thap Ba (Goddess Ponagar Tower) festival opened on April 26 in Khanh Hoa province’s Nha Trang city, drawing the participation of thousands of people from surrounding areas and other localoties in Ninh Thuan, Phu Yen and Dak Lak provinces.

Khanh Hoa province’s largest traditional festival aims to strengthen and unite the Cham people as the Ponagar tower is a place to worship Goddess Thien Y A Na - mother of the Cham community - who taught the Cham people to grow crops and protected them from natural disasters.

This year’s event has lured more than 40 groups of pilgrims from across the country and is expected to attract an additional 25,000 visitors.

The provincial Department of Sports and Tourism in co-operation with the Ponagar tower preservation association also used the occasion to grant three compassionate houses and ten saving books to local heroic Vietnamese mothers and other policy beneficiaries.

The annual event will last until April 28.

(Source: VOV)