Renkeiji (蓮馨寺)

Obinzuru-sama

Located in the historic area of Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, Renkeiji (蓮馨寺) is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo-shu sect. The temple was founded in 1549 by Renkei, the mother of Kawagoe Castle lord Daidoji Masashige, who invited her nephew, priest Kanyo Sontei (感誉存貞), as the founding priest to provide a place of peace and comfort for the local people.

During the Edo period (1603–1868), the temple became one of the Kanto Juhachi Danrin (関東十八檀林), important centers for Buddhist learning officially recognized by the Edo shogunate.

In front of the temple's main hall sits a popular statue of Obinzuru-sama (Pindola Bharadvaja), one of the 16 disciples of the Buddha.