Po Klong Gerai Towers (built c. 13th century)

 

Po Klong Gerai Towers (built c. 13th century)

These temples are perched on a hillside just to the west of Phan Rang. Situated on the road from Phan Rang to Dalat, this is a popular site, with a parking lot for tour buses and a gated entrance with entrance fee required.
These are among the last of the towers that the Cham built, dated to approximately the 13th or 14th Century. There are three surviving structures enclosed by a rectangular perimeter wall: the main tower (kalan), a small
gate tower to the east, and one of the smaller buildings of the type that was thought to be used to prepare offerings or store religious articles. They are in relatively good condition, particularly the main tower, whose corner-towers and flame-decorations are either intact or restored. According to Tran Ky Phuong, there once was a tower housing a stele in the southwest corner, but that has disappeared.
The Chams continue to pay their respects to this minor king, and a mustachioed linga representing Po Klong Gerai is still seated in the center of the main temple, awaiting offerings. The Chams hold a major ceremony at this temple as a part of their Kate festival each year, which usually falls in early October.