Kami-no-midou　上御堂

KEY WORD :　architecture / buildings & structures

Lit. Upper honorable hall. A Buddhist image hall at Houryuuji 法隆寺 (1318) in Nara, rebuilt long after the original hall, built 989, was destroyed in a typhoon. The reason for its name is not clear, but it is situated on top of a hill behind the Houryuujji *daikoudou 大講堂. It also has a triad of Buddha *Shaka 釈迦, in the center with an attendant on each side and statues of the four guardian kings *Shitennou 四天王 from the Muromachi period. The hall is single storied and 7 x 4 bays (20.64m x 13.80m). The plan shows a typical arrangement of central core *moya 母屋, surrounded by a 1-bay deep aisle *hisashi 廂. The hall is placed on a stone podium with steps at the front and on each side. Although a number of buildings of this basic plan were constructed from the Nara period on, very few are extant today. Few exist outside of Nara and those remaining were all rebuilt on their stone podium after the 12c.

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