March 4, 2010

• March 4, 2010 Jindai Daruma Ichi

  These pictures are from the Daruma Market at Jindai Temple.  The Daruma market is held at this temple at the same time as the Girl's Doll Festival around March 3rd.

  

  As we approach the Daruma Market, we'll be going by some of the goodie stalls.

  

  Here is a fellow frying up a batch of potatoes.

  

  Here is the squid stall.  I suggest the tentacles, as they are unquestionably the best part.

  

  Here are some fresh roasted sweetfish!

  

  For those who prefer sweets, there are fish shaped waffles filled with bean jam.

  

  What event would be complete without chocolate covered bananas?

  

  Let's head up the stairs and check out what is going on inside this temple!

  

  Look to the right from the top of the stairs to see a fellow ringing the large temple bell.

  

  Here it goes!  Booooooong!

   The vibrations from the bell were strong enough to be felt!

   

  We are now inside the temple grounds where the Daruma vendors have set up their stalls.  People come from all over to get one of these little round dolls, the use of which will be explained below.

   

   

  A procession comes in and enters the temple building in the next picture.  Notice the stately music being played on traditional courtly instruments.

  

  A procession has entered this temple building for a ceremony.  Let's get a closer look.

  a

  This ceremony is called "Goma Yaki."  One buys a small piece of "goma" wood and writes a prayer request thereon, and it is taken into the temple where it is prayed and chanted over, and then burned in hopes that the prayer will be answered.

   

   

  You can see the fires inside where the wooden sticks are being burned.

  

  Here are the pieces of wood, about a Dollar each.

  

  Here is a view from the side.

  

  Let's zoom in on one of the musicians.  I noticed that he kept warming his instument over a brazier of coals, perhaps to dry it out.  I have noticed other players of this particular instument doing the same thing, so maybe it is standard procecure to take coals to all such performances.

  

  Here is a closer view of the instrument, made of reeds with a reedy sound.  Sorry the zoom was a bit fuzzy.

  

  Here is another instument, with a double reed like an oboe.

  

  The ceremony is finished, so let's continue our walk.  If you rub this statue at a site where you have pain, you supposedly gain relief.  This feller had pretty smooth knees.

  

  Daruma was a priest of long ago who supposedly meditated so much that he lost his arms and legs.   Because he is round and always rights himself if knocked over, he has become a symbol of triumph in difficult circumstances.

  

  For a small donation you can ask a priest to paint an eye in your Daruma.  He will paint one of the eyes in with the Buddhist Sandscrit letter for "Alpha" after one has decided on a goal that one wants to accomplish (passing a school entrance exam, for example).  Bring the Daruma back the next year when the goal has been accomplished (supposedly with the Daruma's assistance), and the priest will complete the face by painting in the other eye with a Sandscrit "Omega," upon which the rotund red helper will be consigned to flames.

  

   Remember the stairs we climbed into the temple grounds?  Now we are back at the same stairs looking in the opposite direction.  You can see that both sides of the path are lined with food booths and the buckwheat noodle shops for which Jindaiji Temple is famous.

  a

  At another temple building we have a "Kagura" dance going on.  This one is a comedy that portrays a happy couple.

   

  Here is a live version of the Lion Dance.  Notice the different style of music here.  It is joyful and lively compared to the court music.

  

  Next is an auspicious lion dance performed by the same pair.  It is considered good luck to have your head chewed on by one of these lions, and even luckier if you give them a coin.

  

  The Jindaiji Temple area also boasts of a botanical garden, and one can always pick up a nice plant or two.

  

  This noodle shop always makes me laugh.  We have only been inside once, because the proprietress was a scary lady who picked fights with everyone, employees and customers alike.

  • 00:27
  • 1 Comment