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Naga snake relievo excavated at the foot of Duong Long Cham Tower. Photo: V.T |
Among ancient Champa architectural works in Binh Dinh Province, Duong Long Cham Tower at Tay Binh Commune, Tay Son District prominently distinguishs itself by its grandiose size and its special architectural features. It bears the strongest influence of Khmer art. One of the influential factors is Naga snake relievo.
In Sanscrit language, Naga means big snake. The word refers to Indian copra, a very poisonous species of snake. The Indian copra symbolizes Siva Goddess because it stands for both destruction and regeneration. Historical records says that within the 12th-13th century period, Champa and Angkor Kingdom of Khmer people continously fighted each other. Champa used to be invaded by the Angkor Kingdom. In their native belief, Khmer people worships snake. So, snake symbol probably exists in Khmer culture before the influence of the Indian culture. A legend of Khmer regime establishment says that Kaudinya, a Brahman man, sailed from India or Indonesia to the abode of the Khmer. He fighted against and won Queen Soma of Nagini, daughter of Naga King. They got married each other then and gave birth to generations of kings.
Khmer people believe that Kaudinya teaches them rice farming and irrigation know-hows. While in their throne, all the Khmer kings builds stone palaces and towers. Naga snake is considered the security God at the holy places. Its task is to drive away evil spirits. That the reason why Naga snake relievos appears along corridors, entrances, thresholds or roofs of the architectural works. Moreover, Naga snake represents procreation and is regarded as the powerful species which is capable of protecting water sources, irrigational and agricultural works of the ancient Khmer people.
In Brahmanism and Theravada Buddism, Naga snake is not only a God of Rain but also a God in charge of leading devout followers to the Nirvana. In ancient towers, Khmer architects always build a lot of symbolic rainbows with Naga image. The rainbows stands for bridges linking the earthly world and the Nirvana. Multi-head Naga snake also means bridge stretching from feet of the towers (the earthly world) to top of the towers (spiritual world of gods).
Naga is an important motif of Khmer Buddhist architecture. Buddhist ana about life of the Buddha from his birth and his salvation to the Nirvana somehow mentions Naga snake. Naga image protecting the Buddha while the Buddha is in his dhyana sitting is commonly found in Theravada Buddhism. Naga snake lies on roofs or at girders of Khmer pogodas to drive away the evil spirits and protect the Buddha.
Naga snake relievos at Duong Long Tower are sophisticatedly and meticulously carved in various forms. The relievos appear densely around the foot of the towers, on fake entrances, on main entrances, along the roofs in different sizes and arrangement. Some snakes have 5 heads, some have 3 heads and others have only 1 head. 70%-80% of the carved stone debris artefacts excavated at Duong Long Tower in 2006 has Naga snake image. No Cham tower has such abundant image of the Naga snake. In other words, Naga snake image of Duong Long Tower is a special feature of Champa ancient architecture.
The abundance of the snake image reveals the truth that Cham people, Indian people and Khmer people did exchange and adapt their cultures together. Whatever it is depicted, Naga snake is always a symbol of water source and power that the Nature offers the human beings.
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