The Shared Features of Cham Towers

In Brahmanism, Meru is a mythical multi-peaked mountain where Vishnu presides over the highest summit while other deities occupy lower peaks according to rank. This image of Meru — the axis of a many-layered cosmos (mandala) — deeply shaped Cham tower architecture (kalan): a complex built around a main sanctuary combined with smaller shrines and low surrounding walls, representing the sacred mountain ringed by the celestial bodies and oceans.

The main kalan, dwelling place of the gods, is likened to a sacred cave: its exterior walls are carved in exquisite detail, while the interior remains simple, holding only an altar. Most towers face east, toward the rising sun and the origin point of the cosmos, with a few notable exceptions — the My Son complex, laid out according to a mandala plan, and the Po Dam group, which faces south toward the sea.

Inside the sanctuary stands an altar bearing either a deity statue or a linga set upon a yoni pedestal. The entrance is flanked by two carved sandstone pillars bearing ornamental motifs and inscriptions; above the lintel sits a tympanum stone carved with the image of the enshrined deity, most often Shiva performing the cosmic Tandava dance.

A Cham kalan has a square cross-section and a three-tiered, pointed roof divided into three symbolic zones: the base represents the earthly realm, carved with floral motifs and animals; the tower body represents the spiritual world, adorned with wall pilasters and images of the goddess Lakshmi; and the roof represents the gathering place of the gods, narrowing tier by tier like ascending heavens and studded with figures of the sacred goose Hamsa, the Garuda bird, and the bull Nandin. The pinnacle is a pointed stone block evoking Mount Kailasa, the sacred abode of Shiva.

These shared features form the unchanging foundation of Cham tower architecture, even as each historical period brought its own artistic style — testimony to the skill and ingenuity of the Champa builders of old.