Main Hall
The Kondo (Main Hall) is a building that once served as audience chamber for the emperor and venue for state ceremonies. At Ninnaji Temple the building serves as a place of worship. Its elegantly sloping roofline hints of its origins on the grounds of the imperial palace in central Kyoto. The court donated several buildings to Ninnaji in the 1600s, including the Kondo, and has maintained close ties with the temple for over a millennium. It received National Treasure status in 1953 as a representative example of centuries-old palace architecture.
Inside the hall, a gilded statue of the Amida Buddha presides over a row of religious sculptures, filling the space with its calm glow. A mural of the Pure Land of the West (Jodo) covers the wall behind the Buddha, offering worshippers an image of that paradise. Each of four buddhas resides in a pure land associated with a cardinal direction. Amida Buddha watches over the Pure Land of the West, also called Gokuraku.
The Main Hall, also called the Golden Hall, stands at the center of Ninnaji, which is designated a Historic Monument of Ancient Kyoto and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.