At the time of its founding, the main hall stood near the bank of the Uji-gawa River, north of the Ho-o-do hall, and housed the principal image of Vairocana, but in 1053 the Amitabha hall (present Ho-o-do hall) was constructed as an earthly representation of the Western Pure Land Paradise.
創建時の本堂は、鳳凰堂の北方、宇治川の岸辺近くにあり大日如来を本尊としていたが、翌天喜元年（1053）には、西方極楽浄土をこの世に出現させたような阿弥陀堂（現・鳳凰堂）が建立された。