Thousands of Cham ethnic people and tourists from across the country have flocked to Ninh Thuan province to celebrate the ongoing traditional Kate festival, one of the people’s major festivals, which kicked off on Oct 4.

The festival, held within the first three days of the seventh month in Cham people’s calendar, pays homage and sends thanks to deities and local gods for their blessings, such as favorable weather, bumper crops and social harmony.

The festival is held at Po Klong Garai tower in Phan Rang city today, Oct 5. The main ceremony takes place at Po Klong Garai and Po Rome towers the same day and features art performances which re-create Cham people’s sacred rites including tower opening, deity bathing and praying for rain.

The festival will also be held at Bau Truc and My Nghiep Cham villages in Ninh Thuan province’s Ninh Phuoc district and in neighboring Binh Thuan province’s Bac Binh district on Oct 5 and 6.

One of Cham people’s major events, the festival will also run at Po Dam tower in Binh Thuan’s Tuy Phong district on Oct 15 and 16. A program to mark Kate festival will also be held in Ho Chi Minh City on Oct 27.

Cham areas are remnants of the Kingdom of Champa (between the 7th and 18th centuries). The Cham people, or Urang Campa in the Cham language, is an ethnic group in Southeast Asia concentrated between Kampong Cham Province in Cambodia and central Vietnam's Phan Rang-Thap Cham, Phan Thiet, HCMC and An Giang areas. They form the core of the Muslim communities in Cambodia and Vietnam.

According to 2008 official statistics, there are around 145,000 Cham people in Vietnam. The community ranks 14th in the country’s general population.