Nehan-e (Nirvana Day Service)

Kiyomizu-dera's Nehan-e is an annual rite marking the day the Buddha Shakyamuni entered nirvana. The Nehan-e stands alongside the Shusho-e and Shuni-e in the temple's annual calendar of rites. For the service, the Great Nirvana Painting depicting the Buddha's passing is hung in the Sutra Hall for worshippers to venerate; the painting is not normally shown, so the Nehan-e is a rare chance to see it up close.