Kirimsa was constructed in the 12th year of Queen Sunduk, the
14th year of King Chuljong of the Chosun Dynasty, 113 kans' dormitory
of the main temple was burnt.
Present buildings were reconstructed
by Governor Song Junghwa. Valuable books and
the writing of
the Kings were preserved. It is a big Buddhist temple with 16 buildings
excluding the main hall, a wooden pagoda site, 3-story pagoda, Mercy
Bodhisattva made of paper with a gold lacquered surface-Treasure
No. 415. Seogkamoni and his disciples stayed at Venerable forest
temple over 20 years. Study for Buddhist followers was now focused
on settling down, which led to an increase of temples. The forest
name of the temple was Kirimsa, and the name derived from forest.
Before independence, Kirimsa was the biggest temple which had
Pulguksa as a branch. But transportation was inconvenient, and Bulguksa
was developed on a large scale.
Now it became the branch temple
of Pulguksa. There is a tale that right after Buddhism was introduced
in Silla, a monk called Mukhoja came from India and converted 500
disciples to Imjungsa; later, Queen Sunduk enlarged the temple and
changed the name to Kirimsa. It is recorded in Samkukyusa that 31st
King Shinmun rested for a while at the west stream of Kirimsa temple,
on the way back to the palace; he was given Manpasikjuk(Calming
ten thousand wave flute) from the former King, who changed into
the dragon of the east sea.
According to record, the temple
existed before King Shinmun's reign, during the early unified Silla
period. At the end of Koryo kingdom monk Kakyu served at this temple
as head priest. During Chosun kingdom, in the 14 year of King Chuljong,
it was burnt. Governor of Kyongju, Song Wuhwa helped reconstruct
the temple.
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