Ancient well of Cwah Patih village (Thanh Tin village)
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Ancient well of Cwah Patih village (Thanh Tin village)
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INTRODUCE

Phan Rang terrain – Pangduranga In ancient times, Champa was near the sea, with a hot, dry semi-desert climate and little rain all year round. However, the ancient land of Champa was marked in history by large seaports, where ships could stop to stock up on fresh water and food before sailing straight to China. This fresh water source came from Cham wells that stretched along the coastal sand dunes, present throughout the central coastal region, marking the existence of a prosperous agricultural and maritime country. The secrets of finding fresh water of the ancient Champa people following that prosperous dynasty have now sunk into the hidden corners of history.

But out of sight does not mean gone. The Cham wells still exist, providing cool water to the fields that stretch across this arid, sandy land. Happy Birthday, meaning white sand in Vietnamese, is named after the towering sand dunes located south of the village. Right at the foot of the dunes is a pair of ancient Cham wells, including Bingun likei is the West Male Well and Bingun movie is the Cai well to the East, about a few dozen steps away. Looking far away is the cool green color of 30 acres of rice fields in full bloom, swaying with each breath of wind.

The well is about one meter and eighty-five feet deep, the underground wall is built of Cham bricks, the bottom is lined with ironwood to prevent subsidence, the ground is made in a typical square shape, each side is about two meters wide, as high as an adult's waist, the wood is tightly joined on three sides facing West - South - East, the North side is left low so that the water overflows into a small ditch, the two sides are lined with flat stones in layers so that people can easily step down to bathe and wash. The well water flows underground through soil mixed with limestone so it is not clear but has the color of rice water, but is always guaranteed to be clean. 

Before there was a system of tap water brought to each household, the surrounding space Bingun likei and Bingun movie It is rarely quiet. Rituals are held at the well, people go to get fresh water for their families, women go to the well to bathe and wash clothes, and children lead buffaloes and cows to the end of the ditch to drink and play. Cham wells are not sacred but precious. According to researcher Inrasara: “If Cham towers are considered symbols of the upper level of Champa civilization, then Cham square wells are a unique symbol of Cham people's life.” The Cham square well then became a community space, nurturing people's physical and spiritual attachment to water, to land, and to their roots. 

According to another connecting dimension, in Cham literature there is a lyrical epic poem. Ariya Cam – Bini or the Cham-Ba-ni epic. This epic consists of 118 Cham six-eight verses, written in the late 19th century, telling the love story of a young couple who, because they follow two different religions, cannot marry. In the Cham community, there are always two religions: Cham Ba-ni (also known as Cham Awal), which is influenced by Islam, and Cham Brahman (also known as Cham Ahier), which is influenced by Brahmanism (Hinduism). The community recounts that the lovers' tears seeped into the sand, forming an underground stream that flows into the double well. Because the pain of separation is so great, this stream never dries up. 

Wherever you go, he guides you.

Wallet to become husband and wife

If heaven allows us to reunite 

Still lonely, (because) the neighbors do not love

Dead (her), I burned her

Because of my love, I wrote this epic poem.

(Transliteration, meaning & poetry translation according to Inrasara).

Not everyone in the Cham community agrees with this connection, as do many fictional stories that attempt to explain the origins of other place names. No one knows that Ariya Cam – Bini about two lovers who cannot marry each other, which came first or the pair of Cham wells at? Happy Birthday appeared first. This mystery, as well as the mystery of the ancient Champa people's method of water detection, accumulated and flowed underground in the minds of those who paid attention to them, and then appeared in stories about the cultural heritage of a land, a community.

The story of the ancient village well Happy Birthday Introduced by Mr. Phu Tue Tri, from My Nghiep village, Phuoc Dan town, Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province. Excerpt from reciting a lyrical epic poem Ariya Cam – Bini by Mr. Kieu Thanh Hai, Thanh Tin village, Phuoc Hai commune, Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province. The story about the ancient well was shared by Mr. Chau Van Binh, Thanh Tin village, Phuoc Hai commune, Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province. 

All information posted in the Connecting Heritage Digital Collection is contributed by the community and is for reference only. The Program is not responsible for any differences from the information stated in the Digital Collection and disclaims any liability arising from the use of information from this Collection. For more information, please visit Community Rules.

IMAGE

Villagers by the ancient well

VIDEO

Video interview

Ariya Cam – Bini

Cham epic poems have genres such as lyric, world affairs, philosophy, and family teachings. In the lyric genre, Ariya Cam – Bini is very famous, widely recited, and has been adapted into a stage play. The epic poem consists of 118 six-eight verses written in the late 19th century. There are some Vietnamese words borrowed in the poem such as dang is dang, ruw is sầu, lang xaum is lang xoam, lauw is lo, etc., proving that there was coexistence between the two ethnic groups as well as language exchange between the Vietnamese and Cham.

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Ariya Documents

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