Hindu temples in Singapore
Hindus make up a minority, comprising about 4% of adult Singapore citizens and permanent residents. From southern India, Tamilians who have migrated to Singapore brought along their religion and culture to Singapore. Most of the Hindu temples in Singapore were built by Tamilians who worked as laborers for the British East India Company throughout the island in the Dravidian style of architecture. For the construction of Hindu temples in Singapore monetary contributions were made by the richer Hindu merchants.
The temples in Singapore serve to hold the community together, being a source of comfort to those far away in a foreign land. There are currently about thirty main temples in Singapore, dedicated to various gods and goddesses from the Hindu pantheon. Today, two government bodies deal with all Hindu affairs — The Hindu Endowments Board and The Hindu Advisory Board. Different communities have also established their own temples in Singapore.
Some of the famous Singapore temples are:
Sri Arasakesari Sivan Temple
Sri Krishna Mandir
Sri Ruthra Kaliamman Temple
Siddhartha Temple
Sri Lakshmi Narayanan Temple
Sri Lion Sithi Vinayagar Temple
Sri Muneeswarar Temple
Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple
Sri Thendayuthapani Temple
Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple
Sri Bala Subramaniam Temple
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple
Sri Thendayuthapani Temple,
Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple
Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple
Sri Arasakesari Sivan Temple
Sree Ramar Temple
Sri Sivan Temple:
Sri Sivan Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Potong Pasir in Singapore. The temple was rebuilt as a solid structure in the early 1850s at the Orchard Road site under which the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station is located. The Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) manages the temple. Several major festivals such as Maha Shivaratri, Vasantha Navratri, Guru Peryarchi, Navratri, Skantha Shasti are celebrated at Sri Sivan Temple.
Sri Mariamman Temple:
Sri Mariamman Temple is an agamic temple, built in the Dravidian style located at downtown Chinatown in Singapore. Due to its architectural and historical significance, the temple has been gazetted a National Monument and is a major tourist attraction. The Sri Mariamman Temple was founded in 1827 by Naraina Pillai, eight years after the British East India Company established a trading settlement in Singapore. The temple is dedicated to goddess Mariamman, a rural South Indian mother goddess who is worshipped for protection against diseases.
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple:
Sri Perumal Temple is one of the oldest temples located in Little India on Serangoon Road, Singapore. The Perumal temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The tall Gopuram shows the different incarnations of Lord Vishnu.This temple is the starting point for devotees during the annual Thaipusam festival. There are also statues, Lakshmi and Andal, the goddesses of wealth and beauty.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple:
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali Matha. The building is constructed in the style of South Indian Tamil temples. Images of Kali within the temple show her wearing a garland of skulls and ripping out the insides of her victims, and Kali sharing more peaceful family moments with her sons Ganesha and Murugan.