Daimonji Gozan Okuribi (Hidari Daimonji)
Daimonji : Higashiyama Nyoigadake
Myo : Matsugasaki Nishiyama
Ho : Matsugasaki Higashiyama
Funagata : Nishigamo Funayama
Hidari Daimonji : Kinugasa Okitayama
Toriigata : Saga-Toriimoto Mandarayama
Hidari Daimonji before lighting
The Daimonji Gozan Okuribi, the fires lit on the five mountains that surround Kyoto, is one of the rites of Bon on Aug.16th. The fires are lit to send off the souls of ancestors back to the other world from where they have been visiting this world.
The most famous of these is the fire in the shape of the character for Dai on the side of Nyoigadake, in the Higashiyama Range. There is another Dai known as the left dai, on Okitayama, behind Kinkaku-ji. The others are the shape of the characters for Myo and Ho (the Supreme Doctrine of Buddha) on the mountains Matsugasaki Nishiyama and Higashiyama, and the form of Funagata (boat) on Nishigamo Funayama and Toriigata (gate) on Mandara-yama. The fires are lit one after the other, from 8:00 p.m. and burns about 30 minutes.
It is said that Okuribi became an annual event involving the general population after the 14th century, though it is not certain about its origin. The traditions are taken over from generation to generation among residents of the local community.
The shape of the character of Hidari Dimonji looks like Daimonji, however, they are completely different the way of lighting and size. Hidari Daimonji is said to appear later than Daimonji, Myo-Ho, and Funagata.
Index Page
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Daimonji Gozan Okuribi
Daimonji : 8:00 p.m. on fire
Myo-Ho : 8:10 p.m. on fire
Funagata : 8:15 p.m. on fire
Hidari Daimonji : 8:15 p.m. on fire
Toriigata : 8:20 p.m. on fire
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The prayer sticks of wood known as gomagi are burned at the Ho-on-ji Temple altar during a Fire-lighting Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. and the altar fire is transferred to the torches. Then the torches are carried up the mountain for lighting of Hidari Daimonji.
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