Bentendo, Kami Daigo-ji, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan

A hall dedicated to one of the Seven Lucky Gods

I visited this exquisite temple, #11 on the Saigoku 33 Kannon Route, on November 23, 1999. Spread up a mountainside, the "Upper Part of Daigo Temple" includes the precious little pavilion at the end of the bridge. This is a Bentendo, a hall dedicated to Benten (or Benzaiten), a goddess of creativity and music, and the only female among the Seven Lucky Gods. She's derived from the Hindu goddess Saraswati, patroness of knowledge, music, art, wisdom, and learning. [Paid subscribers: here's an article that includes Benten.]