Giant Buddha statue in Nara undergoes ritual cleaning

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

NARA--Amid the sweltering heat, Buddhist monks held the annual Ominugui ritual of cleaning the giant bronze Buddha statue at Todaiji temple in this ancient capital on Aug. 7.

The cleaning ritual takes place on Aug. 7 every year at Todaiji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, before the Bon summer festival, when ancestors’ spirits are believed to return to their homes.

At 7 a.m., Kansho Tsutsui, chief priest at the temple, chanted sutra to temporarily remove the spirit from the statue.

About 160 priests and followers, who had cleansed themselves in the temple’s bathhouse, wore white kimono and climbed onto the head and shoulders of the 15-meter statue using ropes.

They used brushes and other tools to remove dust that had accumulated over the past year. They also rubbed and wiped the statue’s curled hair.

The temple hall housing the Buddha statue was filled with white dust, but tourists watched the ritual while covering their noses and mouths with handkerchiefs.


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