Nigatsu-dō ( ja, 二月堂 ) is one of the important structures of

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE. The temple has undergo ...

, a temple in

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

, Japan. Nigatsu-dō is located to the east of the Great Buddha Hall, on the hillside of

Mount Wakakusa , also known as Mount Mikasa (三笠山 ''Mikasa-yama''), is a hill located to the east of Nara Park in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The mountain's name literally means "young grass". On the fourth Saturday of each January, the de ...

. It includes several other buildings in addition to the specific hall named Nigatsu-dō, thus comprising its own sub-complex within Tōdai-ji.

History

Nigatsu-dō was founded by a monk by the name of Sanetada in 752, but the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

monk Jitchu, a pupil of

Rōben (689 – 773), also known as Ryōben, was a Japanese Buddhist monk of the Kegon sect, and clerical founder of the Tōdai-ji temple in Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. He is popularly known as the . His life spanned the late Asuka period (538 &nd ...

, later introduced a repentance service dedicated to the image of the eleven-faced Bodhisattva,

Kannon Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She w ...

in 760. It has taken place as an annual rite since 760 without any break. The service has come to be known as

Shuni-e The is a ceremony held each year at certain Buddhist temples in Japan. The name comes from its observance in the second month of the lunisolar calendar. Today, the service is usually held in either February or March, depending on temples. One of ...

( ), as it was held in the second month of the traditional

lunisolar calendar A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, combining lunar calendars and solar calendars. The date of Lunisolar calendars therefore indicates both the Moon phase and the time of the solar year, that is the position of the Sun in the ...

. At present, it starts on 1 March and ends on the 15th of the month.

Omizutori ''Omizutori'' (), or the annual, sacred water-drawing festival, is a Japanese Buddhist festival that takes place in the Nigatsu-dō of Tōdai-ji, Nara, Japan. The festival is the final rite in observance of the two-week-long Shuni-e ceremony ...

, which means taking sacred water, has become the popular name of the ceremony. While the first Shuni-e service is said to have been held by Jichu in another temple in 752, the original construction of Nigatsu-dō hall is estimated to have completed only somewhere between 756 and 772. Nigatsu-dō was destroyed in 1667 due to a fire.Nigatsu-do Hall.
/ref> * 1667 (''Kanbun 7''): After fire destroyed the main temple structure, work on rebuilding at Nara commenced.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du japon,'' p. 414. Re-construction of Nigatsu-do is completed in 1669. In 1944, it was chosen by Japan as one of the most important cultural aspects of the country.

Architecture

Although the hall was saved from civil wars in 1180 and 1567 in which the Great Buddha Hall was lost, it was burnt down during the Shuni-e service of 1667. The hall was rebuilt two years later. The current main hall of Nigatsu-dō is a designated

National Treasure The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the funda ...

. The hall holds two Kannons, a large one and a small one, although both of them are classified as ''Hibutsu'' (秘仏) – "secret Buddhas" – and therefore are not publicly shown.

Additional Images

Image:The east entrance to Nigatsu-dō Hall.jpg, The east entrance to Nigatsu-dō Hall Image:Wooden stair entrance to Nigatsu-dō.JPG, Wooden stair entrance to Nigatsu-dō Image:Nigatsu-dō winter maintenance work.JPG, Nigatsu-dō winter maintenance work Image:View from the balcony of Nigatsu-dō.JPG, View from the balcony of Nigatsu-dō

Notes

References

Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du Japon.'' Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. ; see also '' Imprimerie Royale de France,'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Nigatsu-do World Heritage Sites in Japan National Treasures of Japan Buddhist temples in Nara Prefecture

History

Architecture

Additional Images

See also

Notes

References