Nanzoin Temple
Nanzoin Temple is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect, an ancient school that emphasizes rigorous ritual practice as a path to enlightenment. The temple is most famous for its monumental Reclining Buddha statue. Cast in bronze, the statue is 41 meters long, 11 meters high, and weighs approximately 300 tons.
In Buddhist iconography, a reclining Buddha depicts the historical Buddha Shakyamuni in his final moments in this world, resting on his right side just before entering Parinirvana, or final nirvana. This grand statue symbolizes that ultimate state of peace and liberation.
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English Official Site: Nanzoin https://nanzoin.net/en/
The legend says that the head monk of this temple won a large jackpot in the lottery and used part of the prize money to build its altar. Because of this origin, the temple has become particularly popular among those seeking good fortune. Many visitors now come specifically to pray at this altar for luck in winning the lottery.
Footprint of the Buddha
In the earliest periods of Indian Buddhism, there was a prevailing aniconic tradition that avoided direct representations of the Buddha in human form, likely due to doctrinal interpretations against depicting his transcendental nature. Instead, followers used symbolic representations for worship, such as his footprints (Buddhapada) carved in stone, along with other symbols like an empty throne, the Bodhi tree, or the Dharma wheel.
This aniconic phase lasted for several centuries until the first carved Buddha images began to appear, around the 1st century CE, notably in the Gandhara and Mathura regions.
