DA NANG, VIETNAM, November 19, 2018 (New Kerala): President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind visited the Museum of Cham sculpture in the city of Da Nang on Monday morning on the second day of his three-day visit to Vietnam. The first couple also visited the My Son temple sanctuary that dates from the 4th to the 13th CE. This is the first visit to Da Nang by an Indian President after India established diplomatic relations with Vietnam. With the civilizational connect that Da Nang has with India, it’s a wonder that this region hadn’t found more importance with Indians both in government and tourism sectors.
The Vietnamese people trace their roots back to 192 AD when the indigenous Cham people lived an Indian cultural way of life. The Dua clan ruled Cham or Champa dynasty and several temple ruins and monuments depict the rich cultural heritage of that period. The city of Indrapura now called Dong Duong was the capital of the Champa Kingdom from 875 to about 1000 AD. The museum which the Indian first couple visited has many artefacts that have been recovered from that region. There are as many as 500 artefacts displayed, but the most treasured among all is the statue of Goddess Tara. While usually a replica of Goddess Tara is placed for the visitors, the original one was displayed today for the President’s visit. The Archaeological Survey of India began with the conservation and restoration of the Cham monuments at the UNESCO world heritage at My Son at the end of February 2017. In the valley of My Son a number of spectacular temple ruins and towers are carefully protected.