sudou tennou sha

Sudo Tenno-sha, located in Nishikidera-cho, Nara, is one of the two great goryo (vengeful spirit) shrines of Nanto, alongside the Goryo Shrine in Yakushido-cho. Also called Kidera Tenno, this shrine was originally established as a tutelary deity of Renjo-ji temple. The enshrined deity is Emperor Sudo, the posthumous name given to Prince Sawara, who was stripped of his Crown Prince status in 785 for alleged involvement in the assassination of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu and died during his exile to Awaji. Following his death, epidemics and disasters struck the capital, prompting the court to grant him the title Emperor Sudo and establish shrines to pacify his spirit.