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Annually, on Saturday November (Cham's(Cham) calendar), a clan named Yang In in Ninh Thuận province in their traditional dress, concentrate in a large area right at the entrance of the village to carry out their rituals of kite-flying. This ritual is to pray for their descendants' good health, happiness, and high-yield crops. This custom is called Papăn kalang Pô Yang In by local inhabitants.

To the concept of Chăm people, kites are the connection between the Yin and the Yang to report to their ancestor for their descendants' work, life; and also pray for next-year bless. These kites bring along many cultural traits and recall of peaceful life preserved by local inhabitants.

Kite flying to pray for luck to healthy children

Kites are designed according to genders. They are lozenge-shaped, with two round-shaped bags symbolizing for sex organ. Its stem is 1,5m long; its wings are 0,6m long and 1,4m wide. These parts are made of bamboo and tied with rattan robe. Its front is pasted on with red paper, the back pasted on with paper on which names of those who carry out the rituals and brief summary of Sir Po Yang In written in Chăm language by Sir Kadhar are recorded. Male kites are equipped with two-layer flute and a 5-meter tail made of "buông" leaves large in width. Kites' strings are plaited in colour (taken from forest), that is 50-100m long, rolled onto an H-shaped wooden frame. Female kites are only 1/3 in size of male ones, without bags, without paper recorded Po Yang legend, and they have only one-layer flutes.

Sir Kadhar (head of the mountain village) presents offerings including: banana, egg, betel & areca, wine, goat meat or sweeten porridge mixed with steamed glutinous rice, etc when kites are flying. This ritual with such offerings is to graciously receive Sir Po Yang In to witness descendants' sincerity. These offerings symbolise for descendants' prosperous year in work.

In aloe wood-scented atmosphere pervaded with from bronze thurible, people of Yang In clan lift the kite from inside and then release the string. Sounds will be heard when the kite flies high in a strong wind combined with the flutes. It is widely believed that the more lissomly the kite hovers, the clearer its tone is; the more enjoyment from deities, people may get. People at the same time fly kites and play kanhi instrument with songs about Po Patao Yang In and Chau Tathun, etc. Yang In's descendants fly their kites from dawn till dusk, and then take their kites home, taking off pasted papers, dismantling the frame for next-year festival.

Source Lenduong

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