The temple was the fourth biggest temple in Yamato (roughly current Nara Prefecture), after Todai-ji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, and Horyu-ji Temple, and they were once called as 'Nikko in the West' due to its huge scale and magnificent buildings of the temple.
大和では東大寺・興福寺・法隆寺に次ぐ待遇を受ける大寺であり、その規模の大きさと伽藍の壮麗さから、江戸時代には「西の日光」とも呼び習わされた。