Amidst the majestic Central Highlands, at the foot of the towering Sac Ly range, the Ha Lang people in Ro Koi commune, Quang Ngai province forever preserve the precious traditional cultural values of their people.
Among them, the Po Jrao festival is one of the typical rituals imbued with agricultural beliefs, vividly demonstrating the harmonious relationship between humans-nature-gods.
The Po Jrao Festival is usually held in late July and early August every year, when the rice plants in the fields begin to flower and form ears - an important time that determines the crop yield. According to artisan Y Uc (Ro Koi commune), the Po Jrao Festival is not only an occasion to worship the gods, pray for a bountiful harvest and full granaries, but also an occasion for the Ha Lang community to gather together, share joy, and express gratitude to the land and gods for blessing the crops.
To perform the Po Jrao ceremony, the homeowner prepares a thoughtful offering tray including: A pig or chicken (depending on economic conditions), a jar of wine, a basket containing sand, a tray of offerings to the gods, and many traditional items such as the bark of the Lagerstroemia tree, incense, vines, le trees, bamboo tubes, baskets, white silk threads... Each item has a profound symbolic meaning: The Lagerstroemia tree symbolizes enduring vitality, the bark of the Lagerstroemia tree and incense represent germination and firmness of seeds; the vines represent solidarity and resistance to harsh weather...
After the preparation, the celebrant will go around the offering tray and pray, "Oh Jang, today our family would like to offer a chicken offering full of rice, thank you Jang for protecting our house with rice. Pray for a warm and prosperous rice season." While walking, the celebrant will beat the sacrificial animal to make a sound, hoping that the gods will hear the prayer. According to folk beliefs, the louder the sound of the sacrificial animal, the easier it is for the gods to hear and bless the family and community. When the ceremony ends, the homeowner will cut the pig or chicken's throat, smear the blood on a bamboo tree placed at the entrance to the field - a symbol of the gods' protection of the land and crops. Jar wine is poured on the land, trees and knives to invite the gods to have a meal, connecting humans and nature.
Notably, the ritual of splitting the bamboo tube in half and throwing it into the sky to let it fall naturally is the most important part. If one half of the bamboo tube lies face down and the other half lies face up, it is a good omen, the gods have answered the prayer, promising a bountiful harvest.
The Pơ Jrao Festival is not only a spiritual ritual but also an important community event. After the ceremony is the festival, where brothers and relatives from near and far gather, have a friendly meal together, and share the joy of the harvest. In the bustling atmosphere of gongs, cymbals, and rhythmic xoang circles, the Ha Lang people exchange smiles and joyful glances. For them, the more people attend the festival, the more they show their devotion to the gods, and the more they contribute to bringing luck and peace to their families and the whole village.
As the person who directly plays the role of master of ceremonies when performing the Po Jrao ceremony, artisan A Gir expressed his desire to bring the traditional worshiping ceremony of his people to a large number of tourists and people everywhere. According to him, this helps the younger generation understand more about the Ha Lang ethnic culture, thereby appreciating and continuing to preserve it. Preserving and promoting traditional festivals such as the Po Jrao ceremony does not stop at the cultural aspect; it is also an important direction in developing community tourism, creating sustainable livelihoods for people in border areas.
Exploiting the potential of ecotourism and experiential tourism associated with indigenous culture can completely become a unique tourism product if it is organized properly, linking agricultural experience tours, exploring rice fields, enjoying gongs, learning to make jar wine, making ritual tools... In Khuk Klong village, where many Ha Lang people live, the local government has supported the artisan's family to restore the Po Jrao ceremony combined with the "cultural homestay" model, thereby both preserving identity and creating stable income.
Source: https://baolamdong.vn/po-jrao-le-cung-mung-lua-thoc-day-kho-384582.html
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