Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Shitenno-ji Temple

 

     I have visited Shitenno-ji Temple countless times as it was located on my way to college.  In addition, I once visited the temple as part of the Osaka City 33 Kannon Pilgrimage:

     I stepped out of Tennoji Station and turned north toward Shitenno-ji Temple.  To secure the number 33 with Avalokitesvara deities, the organizer of the Osaka 33 Kannon pilgrimage picked up 4 Avalokitesvara images from Shitenno-ji Temple.  You may think that will save time, but the temple is large enough to wander around.  First, I visited Manto-in Hall,  which enshrines an eleven-faced Ekadasamukha statue.  However, the hall is more known with its Arhat statue, which wears a paper robe.  Annually on August 10th, it changes its robe, and its followers can put the old robe to have diseased parts to be healed.  If you put the robe on your back 3 times, or for 3 years, you won't have someone attend your personal needs.

     I walked out of the Manto-in Hall, and moved counter clockwise around the Central Temple, which was composed of 2 halls and a tower and was surrounded with its cloisters.  I found Sutra Hall easily surrounded with walls, and realized that I should walk back to Taishiden to enter the enclosure, which is called Shoryo-in.  I did, but was at a loss.  There were 2 buildings, Taishiden and Taishiokuden, between Sutra Hall and me, and sand gardens blocked my way.  Worrying over the omicron coronavirus variant, I asked a lady there what to do to reach Sutra Hall.  "It's open only on October 15th." said she.  I just took pictures of Sutra Hall over Taishido, gardens, and walls.  The hall was strictly guarded in the Shoryo-in Inner Temple.

     The next counter-clockwise walk brought me to Rokuji-do Hall, which was named so because they perform prayers 6 times a day.

     Finally, I moved into the Central Temple.  Of course, I had to pay to get into the innermost center of Shitenno-ji Temple.  The payment boosted its refreshing atmosphere even more.  I visited Kon-do Hall first.  I walked along its cloisters and got into Lecture Hall, which enshrined an eleven-faced Ekadasamukha statue.

     Seeing Shitenno-ji Temple from a viewpoint of the Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, I wonder which is the #33 deity of pilgrimage.

Address: 1 Chome-11-18 Shitennoji, Tennoji Ward, Osaka, 543-0051

Phone: 06-6771-0066

Shitenno-ji Temple Manto-in Hall

Address: 1 Chome-11-18 Shitennoji, Tennoji Ward, Osaka, 543-0051

Phone: 06-6771-0066

Shitenno-ji Temple Sutra Hall

Address: 1 Chome-11 Shitennoji, Tennoji Ward, Osaka, 543-0051

Shitenno-ji Rokujireihai-do Hall

Address: 1 Chome-11-18 Shitennoji, Tennoji Ward, Osaka, 543-0051

Shitenno-ji Kon-do Hall

Address: 1 Chome-11 Shitennoji, Tennoji Ward, Osaka, 543-0051

Shitenno-ji Lecture Hall

Address: 1 Chome-11-18 Shitennoji, Tennoji Ward, Osaka, 543-0051