The Heian Shrine in Kyoto was erected in 1895 to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the foundation of Kyoto as Japan’s capital. Dedicated to the first and last emperors who ruled from the Heian Capital, Emperor Kammu and Emperor Komei, the entire surroundings of this shrine is an ideal display of Zen style of architecture.
Besides its striking red color, all the giant structures in this Heian Shrine attract a great deal of attention from tourists visiting the Kyoto city. Features - This traditional shrine with all its traditional features is a partial replica of the original palace in Kyoto but on a humbler scale; the shrine structures being only two thirds of the original buildings of the Imperial palace. - As one advances towards the shrine, a huge concrete torii with the imperial chrysanthemum in gold welcomes the visitor. Erected in 1929, with a height of 24 meters, this torii is one of the largest in Japan. - If you proceed further, next comes the Ote-mon, the Main Gateway. It is a two-story structure adorned with vermilion colored blue tiles and sculptured after the "Rasho-mon" of 794. Before entering the shrine through this gaudy gate don’t forget to cleanse both hands and mouth in a trough of running water encircled by wooden dippers with a roof atop located to the left of the entrance. - The large open space within the shrine facing the main and offering hall is used for festivals. - The offering hall of the shrine is a sacred place devoted to offer prayers to the Shinto gods. - The main hall has a rich collection of sacred objects representing the gods. However these objects are kept within the innermost chamber and therefore away from common eyes. - Great Hall of State (Daigokuden) is another interesting feature of the Heian Shrine. The structure suffered repeated devastations by fires, first in 1177 and then again in 1976. The present replica was rebuilt in 1979. This 33 meters long, 12 meters wide and 16.5 meters tall huge structure adds grandeur to this famous Heian Shrine in Kyoto. It is believed that the cherry tree to the right and citrus tree to the left of the front steps of Daigokuden date back to the Heian era. - The shrine garden is particularly beautiful in the month of April when the garden with blooming cherry trees and several ponds of quoi offers a picturesque view to the shrine complex. - The shrine’s spacious inner court is a popular place for several occasions. Traditional Japanese weddings keep the shrine complex busy on most of the weekends. Newly married Japanese couples like to visit this place for their photo shoots. How to Reach From Kyoto Station bus number 5 or 100 will take you to the Heian Shrine.
You can also avail the subway to Higashiyama Station on the Tozai Line. Though it is a faster route, it requires a change at Karasuma Oike Station from the Karasuma Line. From Higashiyama Station, walk for 10 minutes to reach the famous Heian shrine in Kyoto. The shrine remains open from 6:00 to 17:30 subject to slight variations in summer and winter. (Slightly longer/shorter in summer/winter). No admission is charged for visiting the shrine.
However for the garden admission charge is 600 Yen.
The garden remains open to the visitors from 8:30 to 17:00. The timing for the garden also changes in summer and winter.
If you are on a trip to Kyoto, the Heian Shrine is a structure that definitely cannot be missed.
|
