Mii-dera Shrine Sendango Festival

A festival for Kishimojin, guardian deity of Mii-dera Temple.

This festival, steeped in more than 600 years of tradition, is quite familiar to the people of Otsu. The Sendango Festival takes its name from the 1,000 rice dumplings that are offered to Kishimojin’s children. Kishimojin was a demon goddess named Kariteimo who had 1,000 of her own children, but who would also kidnap and devour human children. However, when she heard the teachings of Buddha, she repented and became a goddess who defends Buddhism.