Singapore Temples

Chinese & Indian Temples, Churches and Mosques

Singapore is a place where you have a total freedom of following the precepts of your religion. The 3 main monotheist religions - Christian, Islamic and Jewish - plus the main Asian religions - Buddhism, Taoism - have their places of worship in the City of the Lion.

Chinese Temples

Thian Hock Keng temple

Thian Hock Keng, or the Temple of Heavenly Happiness, is the oldest and probably most interesting Chinese temple in Singapore. Built circa 1820, this Taoist-Buddhist temple was dedicated to to Ma Zu Po, the Mother of Heavenly Sages and the protector of sailors.

You can find this colourful temple along Telok Ayer Street, in the middle of Chinatown

The temple, formerly at the waterfront before Singapore embarked on its land reclamation, was where many sailors and early settlers came to offer thanks for a safe journey by sea.

The temple boasts elaborately painted doors, as well as highly-decorated beams and gold-leafed panels.

Temple of 1,000 Lights

The Temple of 1,000 Lights is the common name for the Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple at 336, Race Course Road near Searngoon Road.

It gets its title from the hundreds of lights that surround a 15-metre tall sitting Buddha in the centre of the temple.

The temple and its bright colours was inspired by a Thai monk called Vutthisasara. It also houses a smaller Buddha in a reclining position -- the last pose of the enlightened one as he prepared to enter nirvana. Other artifacts include a wax model of Ghandhi, a figure of the Hindu elephant god Ganesh, and a huge Buddha footprint inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Khong Meng San Phor Kark See Temple

Covering 12 hectares, this temple at 88, Bright Hill Drive -- also known as the Bright Hill Temple -- is the largest temple in Singapore. A modern construction, this impressive temple features many fine Chinese statues, shrines and decorations. There is also a large turtle pool and a serene garden. Besides being a place of worship, the temple grounds also house a crematorium.

Kuan Yin Temple

Situated on Waterloo Street, this temple dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, is filled with worshippers the whole day. A lively band of merchants will greet you on your way in, offering to sell you flowers as temple offerings, or to read your palm.

Siong Lim Temple

This large temple at 184E, Jalan Toa Payoh, was built in 1908 and is now classified a national monument. The temple, which commemorates Buddha's birth and death, has a highly decorated gateway, accessible only by bridge, which opens into a courtyard.

Inside the temple you will find huge incense burners and a beautifully carved Buddha imported from Thailand. The temple grounds also hold a monastery, a smaller temple and a rock garden.

Indian Temples

Sri Mariamman Temple

Sri Mariamman Temple (244, South Bridge Road), the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore is situated right in the middle of Chinatown. This colourful temple, with its many intricate statues on its outer walls and inner altars, was built in 1827.

Today, it is popular venue for Hindu weddings, and is also the temple where the annual Thimithi fire-walking festival is held in October. The temple, which recently underwent some renovations, is a designated national monument.

Sri Thandayuthapani Temple

Also known as the Chettiar Hindu Temple, this temple situated at 15, Tank Road was built on the site of a former temple dating back to the 1850s. Constructed in the South Indian style, it has a number of shrines with glass-panelled roofs that are angled to catch the rays of the sun when it rises and sets.

The Sri Thandayuthapani Temple is where the culminations of the Thaipusam and Navarathiri Festivals are held every year. The annual Thaipusam procession in February sees Hindu devotees bearing kavadi, or portable shrines pierced to the body, as a sign of faith and penance. The procession begins at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Little India and ends at the Sri Thandayuthapani Temple.

The Navarathiri Festival, held in October, is the Hindu "nine lights" celebration of the goddesses Dhurga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. The Sri Thandayuthapani Temple is the focal point of the nine-day celebrations, which include dancing, music, joyous worship and a dramatic procession on the final night.

Mosques

Sultan Mosque

The biggest mosque in Singapore, the Sultan Mosque is situated at North Bridge Road, near the ethnic quarter of Arab Street. It was originally built in 1825 with a SGD3,000 grant from Stamford Raffles, the modern founder of Singapore, and the East India Company.

In 1928, the original structure was replaced by the current mosque, which was designed by Denis Santry. The Sultan Mosque has a massive golden dome and a large prayer hall.

Hajah Fatimah Mosque

This mosque at 4001 Beach Road was built in 1846. It is named after its benefactor, a woman from the Malaysian state of Malacca who married a rich Bugis Sultan. The mosque displays a distinctly British architecture.

Abdul Gaffoor Mosque

Situated at 41 Dunlop Street, this charming little mosque built in 1910 houses a display of the family tree of the Muslim prophets.

Churches

Church of St Gregory the Illuminator

This Armenian church at Hill Street, built in 1835, is Singapore's oldest church.

It is dedicated to St Gregory, the first monk of the Armenian church.

Now a national monument, the church is considered a masterpiece of colonial architect, George Coleman.

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

This church at Queen Street is the oldest Catholic church in Singapore, dating back to 1843. Its construction actually triggered all-out competition between two great colonial architects of the time, D L Sweeney and J T Thomson. Thomson's design was eventually chosen, and a third architect, Charles Dyce, added a tower and a spire one year later. The church is now a designated national monument.

St Andrew's Cathedral

This elegant Anglican cathedral at St Andrew's Street was built after its predecessor, a church built by G D Coleman in 1938, was destroyed in 1852 by lightning strikes.

The present cathedral was designed by Ronald MacPherson in 1856.

A visitors centre at the church displays photos, pictures, artifacts and a video of the church's history. Guided tours are also available.

Other places of worship

Central Sikh Temple

This temple at Towner Road is where many of Singapore's 15,000 Sikhs come to worship. It was built to commemorate the 518th birthday of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh guru, and houses the Granth Sahih, or holy book. A striking building of white marble, the Central Sikh Temple won the Singapore Institute of Architects' Design Award in 1986.