Located on the banks of the Guarapiranga Reservoir, the Sacred Ground of Guarapiranga covers 327,500 square meters and was born from the idea of having prototypes of paradise on Earth. Meishu-Sama, founder of the World Messianic Church, began construction of the first temple in Japan in 1945.
The goal was to unite a divine work, nature, with man-made constructions, making the ground sacred through the harmony of the two elements. In 1995, the first Sacred Ground was built outside Japan, in the southern part of São Paulo. It is the only one in the Americas and one of the five great temples of the religion in the world.
Why visit the Sacred Ground of Guarapiranga?
In joint efforts, thousands of volunteers from Brazil and around the world planted trees and flowers and helped build the structures. The site also has lakes with fish and wild animals such as birds and squirrels that live there.
Today, the temple has a 71-meter tower in the center, which symbolizes God and captures cosmic energy, next to it, the Meishu-Sama sanctuary, and on the opposite side, the sanctuary of the ancestors. It also has 16 pillars 18 meters high, associated with the cardinal points, which support a large ring at the top.
It is a simple and grandiose construction that attracts thousands of tourists all year round.
The site is a meeting place for the Messianic Church in Brazil and also hosts global religious events. It is also one of the largest meditation spaces in the country, welcoming visitors from various religions.
The region also has a cultural center with renovated works of art. In addition to Ikebana workshops, the traditional art of flower arranging, it also features tea ceremony exhibitions and lessons on Japanese culture.
To visit, be sure to schedule at least 24 hours in advance on the Messianic Church website. Visits to the temple are free of charge.