Celebrating a new Nha Rong (communal house) is the biggest festival of the Bahnar in the Central Highlands. The ceremony is a chance for villagers to show their gratitude to the gods for their support to the community.
Nha Rong is regarded as a symbol of the Central Highlands. It is a common home for ethnic people because all community activities take place there.
The celebration of a new Nha Rong is to thank the gods for their protection and beg for their support for health, peace and prosperity for the village. It is a beautiful cultural trait of the ethnic people in the Central Highlands in general, and the Bahnar in particular.
The ceremony must be conducted by Bob Kra, a village patriarch who has the highest prestige in the community. Bob Kra is believed to be assigned by the gods to take charge of this important rite.
When the construction of a Nha Rong is completed, Bob Kra invites other old men in the village to Nha Rong to discuss the preparation and choose a date for the celebration.
By Cong Dat