noun
private Buddhist altar room
A room in a private residence or temple where a personal Buddha statue or ancestral tablets are enshrined; similar to a 仏間 (butsudan room).
See also: 仏間
祖母は毎朝、持仏堂でお経をあげている。
My grandmother chants sutras every morning in the family altar room.
このお寺の持仏堂には、小さな阿弥陀
A small statue of Amida Nyorai is enshrined in this temple's private Buddha hall.
仏間 is a more general term for a room containing a Buddhist altar, while 持仏堂 specifically refers to a hall or room for a privately owned Buddha statue or ancestral tablets.
Compound of 持仏 (jibutsu, 'privately owned Buddha statue') + 堂 (dō, 'hall'). The term refers to a dedicated space for personal Buddhist practice within a residence or temple.