Wolfgang's photos with the keyword: Cham

A stele dated 781 A.D. indicates that the Cham King Satyavarman regained power in the area of Kauthara, and that he restored the devastated temple. From this inscription can be deduced that the area previously had come under temporary foreign dominion, and that foreign vandals had damaged the already existing temple. Other steles indicate that the temple had contained a a mukhalinga decorated with jewelry and resembling an angel's head. Foreign robbers, perhaps from Java, "men living on food more horrible than cadavers, frightful, completely black and gaunt, dreadful and evil as death" had arrived in ships, had stolen the jewelry and had broken the linga. Though the king had chased the robbers out to sea, the treasure had been lost forever. The steles also indicate that the king restored the linga in 784 A.D.

Durga, the slayer of the buffalo-demon, is represented on the pediment above the entrance to the temple.

According to legend, Po Klaung Garai started life as a lowly cowherd, but became king of Champa by destiny, ruling wisely and for the good of the people. When the Khmer of Cambodia invaded his kingdom, he challenged them to settle the matter peacefully in a tower-building contest. Po Klaung Garai prevailed in the contest, thereby obliging the invaders to return home. After his death, Po Klaung Garai became a god and protector of the people on earth; it is said that the tower he built in his contest with the Khmer is the tower that today is known by his name.

The Cham King Jaya Simhavarman III is credited with constructing the tower in honor of Po Klaung Garai toward the end of the 13th century A.D. However, the presence of several steles from an earlier period suggests that Jaya Simhavarman may merely have restored and added to structures that were already in place.