Added: 12/27/2005 |
Nara as home to the first buddhist temples in JapanNara is home to several ancient Buddhist temples that are places for showing admiration and worship for objects of spiritual devotion and for other religious activities. Nara Buddhist temples stand out from the other similar constructions in Japan, being the oldest and world recognized national treasures of the country.
One of the most prominent Buddhist temples in Nara is Tõdai-ji, the Eastern Great Temple. It is the largest wooden building in the world that houses a gigantic statue of Daibutsu (Great Buddha). This bronze statue is fifteen meters high and weighs approximately twenty five tons. The history of the temple is of special interest. In the first half of the 8th century, people suffered from disasters and epidemics. In 743, Emperor Shomu issued a law that the people would have to make a Buddha to protect them. According to the legend, approximately two point six million people helped construct the Buddha, designed by the artist from the Korean Baekje Kingdom. They completed the statue in 751, having consumed most of Japan's bronze production.
The temple was rebuilt twice after the fire, with the last rebuilding finished in 1709, which is thirty percent smaller than its predecessor was. The original complex contained two hundred meter pagodas, the tallest buildings of those days, contesting only with the Egyptian pyramids. The buildings were destroyed in the earthquake. Today, the temple serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism.
During the closing years of the Nara Period, another Buddhist temple, called Saidai-ji or the West Great Temple, was built in Nara. The temple was constructed with bronze statues of the "Four guardian kings" and the "Hall of the eleven - headed Kannon". Today, Saidai-ji is the main temple of the Shingon Ritsu sect of Buddhism and the counterpart to Tōdai-ji. The temple stands in the Saidaiji area of Nara, roughly a halfway between the downtown part and the Gakuenmae Station.
The Kofuku-ji Temple is another representative of the greatest Buddhist temples in Nara that stands in the Deer Park (Nara Park). It is a five-storied pagoda, built in 730. The site was last rebuilt in 1426, after being damaged in civil wars, and today, it is an impressive building of almost fifty one meters in height. Kofuku-ji, along with several Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, the remains of the Heijō Palace, Kasuga Taisha and other famous sites in Nara, is designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. A number of buildings in its sanctuary are listed as national treasures, such as the Nan'endo Hall.
The other Buddhist temples, included in the list of World Heritage Sites, are Gangō-ji, Yakushi-ji, and Tōshōdai-ji. All these Buddhist temples of Nara comprise a significant part of culture and history of ancient Nara and make the city sensuously beautiful. The city of Nara has been one of the most significant capitals of the Ancient world and the Buddhism cradle; today, no other Japanese city can rival with Nara for the quantity and beauty of Buddhist temples and other historical places and artifacts, dating as far back as to the 8th century.
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