|
Ever wondered a massive bush fire will turn into a delightful splendor! A magnificent sight watched by thousands and actually turning out to be an annual event. Yes, this is Wakakusa Yamayaki, the annual event in Japan where the rituals of burning the grass on the Wakakusa Hill, Nara takes place. It is one of the major events in the 'land of the rising sun'. The excitement of burning the dead winter grass on the Wakakusa Hill, Nara is scheduled on 14th January every year. During the event whole of the 342-metre Wakakusa Hill is set alight which sets up the tone for the excitement in the night. This is surely among Japan's most stunning events in the festival calendar. The events is carried forward by the monks dressed as warriors. They are ably assisted by the members of the Nara Fire Brigade. The winter grass is set on fire using the flames of the torches bearing the blessed flame of Kasuga Shrine. The gala event of the month of January begins at 5.30 in the evening. The priests first carry out with the purification sacraments which is followed by the prayers for safety during the ceremony. The priests along with the fire brigade personnel make sure of every possible safety measures as the wide spread of the fire might lead to massive destructions. After the prayers a brilliant display of the fireworks takes place embezzling the night sky with the dazzles of the crackers at 6 in the evening. Just after the firework display the monks gather to blast on conch and declare the commencement of the much awaited splendor. On the stroke of 6 pm the priests assisted by the firefighters ignites the dead grass at the base of the Wakakusa Hill. The show is on and is witnessed by a mass gathering of more than 100,000 people. The fore spreads quickly as spreads the excitement. By 6.30 pm almost whole o the mountain can be seen in flames spectacularly enlightening the winter sky. The people gathered at the base of the Nara hill gets the best possible view of the phenomena. The scenes of the blaze accompanied with the fireworks cerates a magical atmosphere throughout Nara and can easily be felt at every inch of the county. As history beckons the rites of setting ablaze the hill dates back to as far as the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). Some logical reasoning suggests that the ceremony was carried out as a practice to clean up the vestiges of the agricultural field. The land is burnt in order to get rid off the unwanted pests and weds and to welcome fresh growth in the spring. The ceremony was constricted to a single day in fear of spreading the fire to other parts of the locality. Log on to AsiaRooms.com for all the information you need to know about Wakakusa Yamayaki. Now the various festivities of Tokyo is just a click away from you. Keep browsing AsiaRooms.com and enrich yourself with the information about Tokyo events and festivals.
|
