The early spring was ushered in Nara

The festival that burn  the dead grass of Mt.Wakakusa was held. This event tell the early spring to the ancient capital,Nara. The night sky in winter flared up. According to newspaper,  about one hundred eighty thousand people gathered and prayed to solace ancestors' souls.
Todaiji-temple, Kofukuji-temple and Kasuga-garand-shrine ( those are World Heritage Site) hold this event together. The ambassadors of these temples had each big Japanese lanterns written each heraldry on it and torches. They climbed up Mt. Wakakusa.  Many fireworks were displayed from top of Mt.Wakakusa. The small fire for ignition was carried from Kasuga-Grand-Shrine. The firefighters put that fire on the dry grass. The dry grass blazed up.

There are some original reasons of burning the dead grass of Mt.Wakakusa.They say someone put a light to sooth the spirits of ancient tomb, Uguisu-zuka, in Mt.Wakakusa in edo period.


We can see the grass fire in almost Nara city.
I watched this grass fires at Suzaku-gate where are 5 kilometers away from Mt.Wakakusa this year.

I could watch the grass fires at the front line last year. I was so excited. I posted this festival last year,too. If you'd like, please click The grass fires in 2012 to read it.



At front line in 2012,   Thank you firefighters

in 2012

 

in 2012

This heart shape Sasanqua was blooming at near Suzaku-Gate. This shape was made naturally. The gift  from nature for Saint Valentine's Day. hahaha...

                                             
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On New Year's Eve
Almost  temples  hit the bell on New Year's Eve in Japan. We hear 108 times of sound of the bell around at midnight. They say human has 108 worldly desires in Buddhism. So temples hit the bell 108times to remove our worldly desires.
We can hit the bell in some of temples in Nara city. As many people came to the temple to hit, four people hit it together. This temple is Yakushiji-temple we hit the bell.