Inside the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu complex from Kamakura, on an island on the Minamoto lake, you can find a beautiful sub-shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, Hata-age Benzaiten Shrine. Benzaiten is the Japanese name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, arts, beauty and music.
The shrine, rebuilt in 1956, once hosted a famous wooden statue of Benzaiten, made in 1266. The statue, famous because it is coated with white pigment to look realistically like a woman’s skin, is currently located at the Kamakura Museum.
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Yesterday’s Japan Photo:A Tengu from Mount Takao |
