Monks clean Buddha statue at Todaiji temple

Buddhist monks have held the mid-summer ritual of cleaning the Great Buddha statue at Todaiji temple in the ancient capital, Nara, western Japan.

About 150 priests and followers took part in the Ominugui dusting on Saturday. The event takes place on August 7th every year, before the Bon festival when people welcome back their ancestors' spirits.

After a ceremonial chanting of sutras to temporarily remove the spirit from the statue, monks wearing white kimono and straw sandals climbed onto the hands and knees of the statue. They removed dust that had accumulated over the past year, using brushes and dusters.

Some workers used suspended platforms to clean the 15-meter tall statue's head and shoulders.

The temple hall housing the Buddha statue was filled with white dust while tourists watched or took pictures of the annual cleaning.