I didn't realise I'd taken so many photos of Ishite-ji, the temple complex we visited in Matsuyama (the one on the pilgrimage route mentioned in an earlier post). This one, however, is not Ishite-ji, but of something we happened upon en route.
It wasn't entirely clear to us what this gathering of statuary was all about. We briefly - and naively - thought it might be Ishite-ji itself.
It was certainly dilapidated.
When we got to the real Ishite-ji, people were just beginning to arrive. A guy from New Zealand at the hostel recommended that we go as early as possible, before the tour buses show up.
Guaranteed to wake the gods.
Buddhas in their bibs.
Em lit a candle. She's very hands-on, when it comes to temple tourism.
Reminiscent of a millstone.
The Ishite-ji pagoda.
Evidently the big stack of pine branches were going to be burnt later in the day. There were photos of last year's burning.
We were having a peek behind one of the buildings when suddenly a tour group enveloped us. The guide opened a door that was literally set in the mountainside & everyone began to file in. I would have stayed put, but I was glad that Em insisted that we tag on to the end. I had visions of the guide delivering a detailed speech in the bowels of the hill. Happily they didn't come to pass. We marched along a dark corridor lined with barely visible statues and pictures for about five minutes, if that, and then emerged in a different part of Ishite-ji.
I didn't realise I'd taken so many photos of Ishite-ji, the temple complex we visited in Matsuyama (the one on the pilgrimage route mentioned in an earlier post). This one, however, is not Ishite-ji, but of something we happened upon en route.
It wasn't entirely clear to us what this gathering of statuary was all about. We briefly - and naively - thought it might be Ishite-ji itself.
It was certainly dilapidated.
When we got to the real Ishite-ji, people were just beginning to arrive. A guy from New Zealand at the hostel recommended that we go as early as possible, before the tour buses show up.
Guaranteed to wake the gods.
Buddhas in their bibs.
Em lit a candle. She's very hands-on, when it comes to temple tourism.
Reminiscent of a millstone.
The Ishite-ji pagoda.
Evidently the big stack of pine branches were going to be burnt later in the day. There were photos of last year's burning.
We were having a peek behind one of the buildings when suddenly a tour group enveloped us. The guide opened a door that was literally set in the mountainside & everyone began to file in. I would have stayed put, but I was glad that Em insisted that we tag on to the end. I had visions of the guide delivering a detailed speech in the bowels of the hill. Happily they didn't come to pass. We marched along a dark corridor lined with barely visible statues and pictures for about five minutes, if that, and then emerged in a different part of Ishite-ji.
No comments:
Post a Comment