Sanjusangendo is located across Kyoto Museum.
I liked this place so much because of the goddess with thousand hands (1001 Kanon)
On the exterior, it doesn't seem like much, but on the inside it is interesting to learn a bit more about Buddhism. They have thousands of statues to see. We liked it.
Throughout the years I have been several times to this temple and have seen the progress of cleaning and restoration works, more planned museography, as well as increasingly imaginative marketing and gift shop items. It is a good place to witness the artistic and religious mix of different Japanese historical periods along with the many Hindu remnants found in Buddhism, along peculiarly Chinese and Japanese strands of this religion. In a way, everything is there.
Ultimately, though, Sanjusangendo is one of those shrines that induce awe, respect, and a contemplative experience regardless of religious inclination. You can marvel at the beauty and craft behind all individual statues, the massive, multi-armed Kannon, the temple guardians. If you're lucky and aim for a quiet time (low season, early or late in the day) so as to not find yourself amid a throng of tourists and the babble of several-language organised tours, which can get pretty annoying, you can find a quiet personal spot along the hallway and just watch, let the place work its magic.
The garden areas are plain in comparison with much of what's on display around Kyoto, but they're agreeable to stroll and there's a small, half hidden and picturesque Inari shrine if you feel the need for some Shinto after being in the presence of so many Buddhas.
If you were a bodiced this would be an important place to visit no doubt with 1001 Kannon (goddesses of mercy) housed in apparently the biggest wooden building in the world (although I thought that was the great Buddha temple in Nara -Todaiji?). There was a feeling of solemnity and a Sareen butter at the central of the long haul, they were strict about no photography, and it was the temple where you had to take your shoes off.
However there wasn't much else there other than two small and rather uninspiring pool gardens. If you are time limited temple touring there are many better ones.
This Buddhist temple is very unique, It is famous for its 1001 life-size statues of deities of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The temple was founded in 1164 and rebuilt a century later after the original structure had been destroyed in a fire.
Having visited many temple in India, I was jus stunned, You can see how the Buddhist religion is closely related to Hinduism. Realy amazing
