raidou　礼堂

KEY WORD :　architecture / buildings & structures

Also called raihaidou 礼拝堂. A worship hall. When Buddhist temples were constructed during the 7c-8c, the masses worshipped in the open, in front of the hall containing the sacred images. For example, the reconstructed *Kondou 金堂 at Houryuuji 法隆寺 (dedicated in 693), contains no interior space for the lay people to enter for worship purposes. Sometime during the Nara period, a separate building, the same length as the image hall, was built as a place for lay people to worship. This building is called the Raidou and the image hall is called *shoudou 正堂, The twin building style is called *narabidou 双堂. Eventually, one roof was constructed over the shoudou and raidou duriing the Heian period. The sacred area became known as the inner sanctuary and called *naijin 内陣. The outer part was often called *gejin 外陣, but the term raidou was never entirely abandoned. The shoudou and separate raidou no longer exist but the refectory *Jikidou 食堂 (Nara period) and the separate *Hosodono 細殿 (ca.1269) are extant. The Taimadera *Mandaradou 当麻寺曼荼羅堂 (1161) demonstrates the successful construction of an enormous roof over the naijin and raidou. In this twin building arrangement, floors were usually made of wood. Minami Hokkeji 南法華寺 (Muromachi period) Nara, has a building called Raidou that is 5x4 bays, 17.73m x 13.89m. According to the JUUYOU BUNNKAZAI 重要文化財 (vol.12 Kenzoubutsu 建造物 1 p.72#211), it was formerly the raidou in front of the *hondou 本堂 that was an octagonal building *hakkaku endou 八角円堂. During the Shouwa period, it wa restored to its present form.

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