In Nara, Japan, the Kasuga Taisha shrine it was officialy established in 768 by the Fujiwara clan, but is believed to date from the beginning of the Nara period (710). It is known for its thousands of lanterns and for the lovely wisteria in its botanical gardens. The wisteria flower is important to this shrine because the name of the "Fujiwara" clan can be read as "field of wisteria". The shrine priestesses even wear wisteria in their hair. The other feature of Kasuga Taisha Shrine are its 3000 lanterns, 2000 of which are stone and the other 1000 are bronze. The lanterns (toro) line the paths to the shrine and hang from the eves. They were donated over the years by the common people as tokens of their faith. In ancient days the lanterns used to be lit every day, however now you must be lucky enough to visit the shrine on February 3 (Setsubun) or August 14 & 15 (Obon) when you can see all the laterns lit for the Mantoro festival.
Hi Mirenchu,
I like the wide angle perspective. I like the lanterns decorating the shrine...it must look fantastic when lit at night...thanks for sharing...I like the feel...:cool:
Kasuga Taisha (Kasuga Grand Shrine)
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