Choken-ji Temple in Kyoto
Choken-ji temple has a beautiful gate, with red-earthen walls surrounding the complex and inside is a beautiful serene garden overflowing with ginko leaves. There are two large containers on both sides of the Chinese-style tiled roof which are sake casks, said to be drunk by the gods and goddesses of the Shinto pantheon.
Goddess Benzaiten : Benzaiten (弁才天, 弁財天) is the Japanese name of the goddess Saraswati; there was an important river in ancient India of this name. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the 6th to 8th centuries. Her Sanskrit name is “Sarasvatî Devî”, meaning “flowing water”, and so Benzaiten is the goddess of everything that flows: water, words (and knowledge, by extension), speech, eloquence, and music. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In 1699, Choken-ji was dedicated to Benzaiten, the Goddess of Beauty and Arts, particularly the performing arts. She is the only female amongst “Japan’s Seven Gods of Good Fortune”, and is a descendant of the Hindu deity Sarasvati. Believers in Benzaiten wear a special talisman, or omamori, next to their skin to ensure good fortune. These can be purchased at the shrine like at most shrines across Japan.
Here is a walk through video of Choken-ji Temple which gives a sense of the serenity of this low-key temple.
