Taima-dera, Buddhist temple in Katsuragi, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
Taima-dera is a Buddhist temple in Katsuragi, Nara Prefecture, consisting of three main buildings: the Mandala Hall, the Kondō Hall, and the Kōdō Hall. Inside each of these spaces stand ancient Buddha figures made of wood, clay, and bronze that show different periods of Japanese sculpture.
Prince Maroko founded the site in 612, and his grandson moved it to its current location in 681. The two pagodas date from 710 and are among the oldest wooden structures still standing in their original form.
The name connects with Princess Chūjō, who according to tradition wove a mandala here in the eighth century that is now kept behind closed doors at night. Monks and pilgrims come regularly to pray before this textile image depicting the Pure Land.
The compound lies roughly one kilometer west of Taimadera Station on the Kintetsu Line and can be reached on foot in a few minutes. The path leads through a small village that is especially quiet in the morning and early afternoon.
A clay figure of Maitreya Buddha from 681 is the oldest surviving clay sculpture of its kind in Japan. The two pagodas are also the only twin towers from the Nara period still standing today.
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