In the Japanese city of Nara, there are a lot of objects included in the UNESCO World Heritage. Among them, the outstanding Buddhist temple Todai-ji, which is considered the largest wooden structure in the world. It houses a giant bronze statue of Buddha Vairochan.
The construction of the temple began with the fact that various disasters and epidemics fell on Japan in the VIII century. A strong wind tore roofs from houses, rains flooded crops. From cold and hunger, diseases appeared that people began to suffer. It was urgent to call for help good forces.
In 743, the Japanese emperor Shomu issued a decree according to which residents should build a statue of Buddha and ask him for protection. All Japanese were ready to carry out the decree of their emperor. They believed that Buddha would help them.
As later reported in the chronicles, over 2 million people took part in the construction of the Buddha statue and the pagoda around it. The artist and sculptor Kuninaka no Muradzi Kimimaro created a project of a 15-meter giant. They decided to make the statue of bronze, which was collected throughout Japan and even in China. The sculpture was cast in parts, and then combined.
As the Buddha increased in size, the temple under construction also grew. In 745, construction was completed. The temple reached a height of almost 100 meters. It is believed that at that time it was the tallest wooden structure in the world. True, the bronze Buddha was completed for another 6 years. Finally, he was ready. Its construction took 500 tons of bronze. It was installed on a pedestal 20 meters high.
People came to the temple, prayed to the Buddha, brought gifts to him and asked for help. The elements subsided, but almost no bronze remained in the country.
The Japanese still pray to the Buddha, ask him for help and protection. The giant Buddha has not changed much; it is cleaned once a year. The temple itself has become much lower. In 1799, its top was dismantled. They say that the earthquake caused this. Now the height of the temple is about 50 meters.
Today, a beautiful green park is located around the Todai-ji Temple, where deer, which are considered sacred animals, roam freely. They are looked upon with greatness and serenity by the Buddha, who brought to this earth, as the Japanese Buddhists claim, peace and grace.
