Atago Forest Preservation Association

I'm sorry. At the northern foot of Mt. Atago, on the cliff facing Hakata Bay (behind Mt. Atago Elementary School, next to Atago 4-chome Public Hall), there is a natural cave lid, and Benjiten is enshrined in the cave. In the olden days, a treasure mirror was enshrined in the hope of maritime security, but since the Edo period, Benzaiten has been the object of worship as the guardian deity of the sea. Originally it was on the beach. This area (around Atago 4-chome) was called Bentencho until around the 1960s (as a remnant of that, the name of the pumping station in Fukuoka City on the left bank of Atago Ohashi is now "Bentencho Pumping Station". ing).
Kaibara Ekken's "Chikuzen Kokuryo Fudoki" introduces "Rock Cave Benzaiten", and on the east side (on the left) there is a small cave named "Needle Ear", which is low and narrow, but from west to north. It is written that it was bent and communicated. The little cave is missing now. According to the locals, it still existed as a kid and was playing through it. Also, the entrance to the Benzaiten Cave is now wide, surrounded by concrete, but before, the rocks were more overhanging and narrower, and the inside of the cave was bare rock, so it was a little courageous to go all the way in. I heard that it went. The current shape is the result of the construction of the urban expressway, which was opened in October 2001 by cutting Mt. Atago. The walls of the cave were all sprayed with concrete all the way to the back, and now you can't see the sandstone walls. The road public corporation even built the next public hall (public hall).
Benzaiten was originally introduced by the Hindu goddess Saraswati, and what was a statue of eight arms (eight arms) with weapons etc. has been the figure of two arms playing biwa since the Kamakura period. Has also appeared and has been regarded as the god of arts and crafts. By the way, Saraswati has four elbows, often with beads, vedas (scriptures), and venenas (musical instruments). The valve talent heaven has become valve goods heaven is said to be after the Edo era divine favor it has been highlighted as one of the Seven Lucky Gods. Benzaiten is said to be one of the Three Goddesses of Munakata, who was born from the sword of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and is enshrined at the same time (see the monument of luck).
 
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