Haenam-gun Ttangkkeut Village Mihwangsa Temple's Gwaebul Meets the Public After One Year

Published 25 Oct.2021 16:50(KST)

‘Hoping to Overcome COVID-19’ Mihwangsa Gwaebuljae Ceremony Held

The 22nd Gwaebul Festival was held at Mihwangsa Temple (Chief Monk Hyangmun). Photo by Asia Economy

[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] On the 25th, Jeonnam Haenam-gun announced that the ‘22nd Gwaebuljae and Mihwangsa Music Concert’ was held at Mihwangsa Temple (Chief Monk Hyangmun) on the 23rd.

This year’s Gwaebuljae, held on a small scale to prevent the spread of COVID-19, began with the Gwaebul procession where Chief Monk Hyangmun and village youths carried the Gwaebul to the courtyard while holding cloths over their mouths. It continued with the prayer for peace, offering of incense and food, the Manmul Gongyang where attendees offered the year's agricultural produce, and the Dharma talk by Great Monk Boseon of Daeheungsa Temple.

The Gwaebul is a large Buddhist painting displayed outdoors during ceremonies as a substitute for the principal Buddha statue.

The Mihwangsa Gwaebul, a rare large-scale Buddhist painting measuring 12 meters in height and 5 meters in width, is designated as Treasure No. 1342. There is a legend that when it is displayed and rituals are performed during droughts, rain will fall.

Especially for residents around the Ttangkkeut Village, it is considered sacred to the extent that there is a folk belief that seeing the Gwaebul once grants a wish, and seeing it three times leads to being born in the paradise.

At the Gwaebuljae, not only Mihwangsa Buddhists but also nearby residents, County Governor Myeonghyeon-gwan, and officials attended to pray for the end of COVID-19, regional development, and the fulfillment of wishes.

After the Gwaebuljae, the annual autumn mountain temple music concert was held at Mihwangsa, featuring performances by cultural artists including Nolteo, a traditional culture and arts cooperative.