Virtual Tadasho Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 and #7 Tentaku-ji Temple

 

     Tentaku-ji Temple is the #17 member temple of the Upper Tada Manor 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and has the Buddhist images inscribed Bando 6-ban and Bando 7-ban.  There should be or at least should have been the Tadasho Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, but its history and the whereabouts of other member temples are totally unknown.

     The central part of Inagawa-cho used to be called Yanai-zu, which is called Ki-zu (literally Wood Port) today, and which might have been a point to gather wood and to send them out through the river.  Yanaizu-in Temple was founded by Gyoki(668-749) as one of the 49 temples founded by him in Yamato, Kawachi, and Izumi Provinces.  Gyoki (668-749) helped build Todai-ji Temple.  Tentaku-ji Temple is said to have succeeded Yanaizu-in Temple.  The temple's precincts have a stone garden lantern dated 1403, one year before the foundation of Gozu-Tenno-sha Shrine nearby.  Gozu was invited from Hiromine Shrine.

     Kizu Village was first documented in 1368 as it "donated" money to Tada-in Temple.

     Gozu chose to be born as a son of Mudang as a part of the syncretism of Buddhism. The son had a bull head, and grew up to find no bride to get married with. One day, he set out on a journey to find a bride. In brief, at last, he got married to a daughter of Naga, who lived in the ocean. Gozu might have had the power to control water as a natural process.  Gozu was first enshrined at Hiromine Shrine in today’s Himeji. 

     Anyway, Kizu Village became religious enough, or rich enough, to found a shrine and build garden lanterns for a temple.  That is, the people there were, at least partially, released from the exploitation of central powerful nobles and samurai.

     Another possibility on the Tadasho Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is that Tentaku-ji Temple had all the 33 Kannon images from #1 to #33.

Address: Teragaichi-8 Kizu, Inagawa, Kawabe District, Hyogo 666-0225

Phone: 072-768-0200

Hiromine Shrine

Address: 52 Hiromineyama, Himeji, Hyogo 670-0891

Phone: 079-288-4777