Omizutori, or the annual, sacred Water Drawing Festival, is a Japanese Buddhist pameran that takes place in the NIgatsu-do of Todai-ji, Nara, Japan. The pameran is the selesai rite in observance of the two week long Shuni-e ceremony. This ceremony is to cleanse the people of their sins as well as to usher in spring of the New Year. Once the Omizutori is completed, the cherry blossoms have started blooming and spring has arrived.
Eleven priests, whom are called Renhyoshu, are appointed n December of the previous year to participate in the Omizutori festivals. Much preparation goes into this yearly festival, and the priests are tasked with cleaning the sites for the rituals, making circuit pilgrimages to surrounding shrines and temples, and the preparing of various goods that are to be used in the rituals. During the time leading up to Omizutori, the priests are forbidden to speak at all or leave their lodgings. Each priest is very firm in the practice of his duty in specific, strict orders, and preparing himself for the ceremonies to come.
Waiting at the Shrine |
Torches are lit at the start of the Omizutori, during the ittokuka, which is held in the early morning on the first of March. There is an evening ceremony, called Otaimatsu, where young ascentics brandish large torches that are burning. While waving the torches in the air, they draw large circles with the fire it emits. It is believed that is a person viewing the ceremony is showered with the sparks form the fire, that the person will then be protected from evil things.
The Legend of Omizutori
Thee are different legends of the origin of Omizutori. One of these legends suggest that the founder of Shuni-e, Jitchu, invited 13,700 of the gods to the ceremony. One of the gods, Onyu-myojin was late to the ceremony because he was fishing on the Onyu River. To make up for the fact that he was late, he then offered scented water from the Onyu River, and the water suddenly sprung up from the spot where the god once stood.
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