The Edo period (1603 to 1868) in the history of Japan is the period of peace, social order, tranquility and harmony. The design of the main gate of Senso-ji temple is representative of this period. In this temple the feel of this period is ensured. There is a large red lantern at the entrance gate. The word ‘Kaminarimon’ is inscribed on it. On the either side of Kaminarimon, there are statues of Fujin and Raijin, gods of the wind and thunder. Thus, the formal name of this gate is Furaijinmon which literally means “the gate of the wind god and thunder god”. The gate was first built around the year 1942, but burned down many times. In 1960 both the gate and its statues were fully restored as they are today. The Kaminarimon Gate with its giant red lantern is Asakusa and also Tokyo’s most famous landmark. It is an impressive structure, standing 11.7 meters high, 11.4 meters wide, and covering an area of 69.3 square meters. On the reverse side of the gate are statues of the Buddhist Gods, Tenryu and Kinryu which were enshrined here in 1978. These are male and female water dragon spirits, protecting not only this wooden structure but also Japanese society from fire in future. Another dragon image can be found carved in wood at the base of the lantern. The design and the proportion of the gate is mesmerising. This lantern is of “chochin” type, which means it has a spiral bamboo frame covered in hundreds of sheets of paper making it foldable when necessary. It is remade at regular intervals by specialist lantern makers in Kyoto.
The symbolism and structure of Hindu temples is like the confluence of mind and body of society of that era. The intricate iconographic and symbolic elements, present within Bharatiya temple architecture, express spiritual beliefs and philosophy. Architectural features and elements convey religious narratives and cosmological concepts, apart from protecting the artistic traditions of society. It would be interesting for researchers to explore the meaning and rationale of the existence of these symbolic statues and carvings on ‘Kaminarimon’ – entrance gate and also to relate to similar beliefs and philosophies associated with our temple iconography.
