Carpe Diem #423, Sankaku-ji (temple 65)

Dear O-Henro ... Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As we go on with our Shikoku Pilgrimage today we have walked the trail for over two-third of the total length ... Today we will visit the last temple in Ehime Prefecture, Sankaku-ji (temple 65). Sankaku-ji we will find in Shikokuchuo with a population of almost 95000 people. Shikokuchuo is mostly known for it's paper- and paper-products industry.
As in the most Japanese cities Shikokuchuo has its own mayor festival, the Doi Taiko (Japanese Drum) festival which takes place on 13 to 15th October every year.

Doi Taiko Festival

So, maybe we can visit this festival as we celebrate our second anniversary this October. As you maybe know its my goal to visit Japanese Festivals in October and so this Doi Taiko Dai we will see again.

As we are on our pilgrimage, there is no celebration at hand, but just a tough walk along the 88 temples on Shikoku Island.
Sankaku-ji is devoted to Juichimen Kannon, the boddhisattva of compassion, the Far Eastern equivalent of the Christian Virgin/Mother Mary.

Sankaku-ji (temple 65)

Its a tough climb to Sankaku-ji, we have to enter it by a stairway, a pilgrimage by itself. Well ... no one has ever said that a pilgrimage was easy so ... that we all know now.

Japanese drums
resonate through the spring-night -
evil spirits flee

evil spirits flee
as prayers for compassion
resonate through the night

compassionate
she ... the full moon of March
lights the dark night

(c) Chèvrefeuille

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until March 19th 11.59 AM (CET). I will post our next episode, Unpen-ji (temple 66), later on.
Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku, senryu, tanka, kyoka or haibun with us all.