kongōsaku 金剛柵

Also kongōgaki 金剛垣. A fence made of vertical stakes with decoratively shaped tops resembling the *kongōsho 金剛杵 (Sk: vajra, diamond pounder), a ritual object used in esoteric Buddhist rites. In cross section, the stake is triangular and has three indentations, suggesting the three-pronged ritual object sanko 三鈷. The stakes are used to protect the statues of the deity *Niō 仁王 (*Kongō rikishi 金剛力士; Sk: Vajrapani) from sightseers. The stakes themselves are called kongō. Sometimes the fence is painted green. The Niō statues are placed on either side of the gate called *niōmon 二王門 and are believed to ward off evil.