| Lit.
second month hall. A temple widely known for its famous ancient festival called
omizutori お水取り in March. Originally held from February 1st to 14th on the
old calendar and fomerly called shunie 修二会. It is a ritual to scoop up
the first water from the Wakasa 若狭 well, in the front of the Nigatsudou. Prayers
are said for the prosperity of the country. A large hall constructed in the overhang
style kake-zukuri 懸造, in the grounds of Toudaiji 東大寺, in Nara. It is 7
bays wide×10 bays deep. It measures 22.46m×27.19m. There are bracket complexes
*tokyou 斗きょう, of the one-stepped
type, *degumi 出組, intercolummar
spaces that have struts capped with bearing blocks *kentozuka
間斗束, and on the lower part there are 3-stepped bracket complexes *mitesaki
tokyou 三手先斗きょう. The double eaves, *futanoki
二軒, and rafters, *shigedaruki
繁垂木, are closely spaced. Across the front and on two sides, there are open verandas
equal to two bays in width. This part is called the *raidou
礼堂. The entire building is covered with a hipped roof *yosemune-zukuri
寄棟造. Although largely wayou style *wayou
和様, the hall has elements of both the Zen style *zenshuuyou
禅宗様, and daibutsu style *daibutsuyou
大仏様. The three styles are well integrated. It is said that the second head priest,
Jitchuu 実忠, built the original structure in 752. However the present building
dates from 1699 and was constructed by Tokugawa Ietsuna 徳川家綱. |
