Iruhi Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

 

     The Hiki area is composed of Hiki Hills and the alluvium land at the foot of the hills.  Many parts of the hills are covered with tuff.  The Ichino River runs through the hills, carried the earth, and filled the sea at the foot of the hills in prehistoric or even ancient days.  People settled in the hills in the 4th century at the latest, living in pit dwellings, and forming communities.  In the 7th century, they dug caves in a tuff-covered hill as their graves on the slope of the north side of the Ichino River.  It isn't clear when they accepted Shinto and Buddhism.

     The Hiki Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1723 by Priest Joan, but it is unknown when and by whom the Iruhi Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized.  It seems to have been founded sometime between 1716 and 1736.

The Iruhi Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage not only includes temples in Hiki County, but also 9 temples in Ogose, Iruma County.  Thus, it was named Iruhi, that is, Iruma and Hiki, instead of Just Hiki.  Ogose is located at the upstream of Oppe River, so the pilgrimage is almost Hiki Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and thus Hiki County has the copies of the Saigoku and Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimages.  What about the copy of the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage to make it 100?  Chichibu County is just across the hills from Hiki County, and it's too near to organize a copy of it.