Top Ten Places of Worship

Our Local Expert Says:

A fascinating insight into the rich history and culture of Buddhism.

Description:

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is located in the heart of Chinatown. The magnificent temple building comprises five floors and a roof garden and was designed to incorporate the best of the Tang Dynasty and the Buddhist Mandala.

The Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic Chamber is the most revered part of the temple and can be found on the 4th floor. Its importance is evident in the magnificence of the room, complete with gold floor tiles surrounding the solid gold stupa. The roof garden houses the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion with its large Vairocana Buddha Prayer Wheel, while the excellent Buddhist Culture Museum can be found on the 3rd floor. This houses an impressive collection of rare Asian Buddhist artefacts, which accompany a display on the life story and teachings of Lord Buddha. The 100 Dragons Hall on the ground floor is where the daily ceremonies take place, when the chanting monks and congregation add to the air of reverence.

Description:

The Masjid Sultan can be found presiding over the Arab Quarter at the end of Bussorah Street, one of the most picturesque streets in Singapore. This mosque with its huge golden dome and four minarets, is the largest and most stunning mosque in town and forms the heart of Muslim Singapore. It can accommodate 5,000 devotees in its main hall. It was built by Sultan Hussein Shah in 1824 with a $3,000 grant from the East India Company as part of the handover treaty. During the fasting period of Ramadan, food stalls are set up in the streets surrounding the mosque as devotees arrive at sundown to break the fast together.

Our Local Expert Says:

One of the most elaborate and beautiful temples in the whole of Singapore.

Description:

Thian Hock Keng Temple, also known as the Temple of Heavenly Bliss, is one of the most popular temples in Singapore with visitors.

The temple is dedicated to Ma-Zu-Po, the Goddess of the Sea, and once faced the sea – the spot where it stands originally bordered the shoreline, before the island was extended through reclaimed land. It was therefore often the first stop for new Chinese immigrants arriving in Singapore who came to pay their respects to Ma-Zu-Po, and give thanks for a safe passage.

The temple was erected in 1821, making it the oldest Hokkien temple in Singapore. Nearly all of the materials used to construct the temple came from China, and some even from the boats the immigrants arrived on. Incredibly the entire temple was constructed with bricks and wooden poles and without the use of any nails.

Take your time to explore the temple - wander through the courtyards and admire the rooftop dragons, ceiling mosaics, gold-leafed details and the intricately painted doors. You will find a statue of Ma-Zu-Po on the central altar in the main part of the temple, flanked by the Protector of Life and the God of War.

Description:

Located in the heart of Chinatown, the Sri Mariamman Temple is Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, dating back to 1827. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, the Goddess of healing. Its distinctive colourful gopuram towers above the entrance, covered with figurative sculptures of gods, goddesses and mythological beasts. The Theemithi festival (fire walking ceremony) is held here annually in October/ November and draws thousands of devotees and tourists.

Description:

The Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple is a Buddhist temple in Little India, and is more popularly known as the 'Temple of 1,000 Lights'. The temple is best known for its 15 metre high, 300 tonne seated Buddha which towers above you as you enter. At the base of this towering statue is a diorama depicting important events in Buddha's life. Make your way round the back of the statue to find a chamber housing a reclining Buddha. The temple was founded in 1927 by a Thai monk called Vutthisasara, and acted as a refuge to many people during the Japanese occupation of Singapore. It was also used by British prisoners of war to send messages back to England.

Description:

Designed by George Coleman; erected on a site selected by Sir Stamford Raffles himself; named for the patron saint of Scotland, St. Andrew; and primarily funded by Singapore's Scottish community, the first St. Andrew's was the colonials' Anglican Church. Completed toward the end of the 1830s, its tower and spire were added several years later to accord the edifice more stature. By 1852, because of massive damage sustained from lightning strikes, the cathedral was deemed unsafe and torn down. The cathedral that now stands on the site was completed in 1860. Of English Gothic Revival design, the cathedral is one of the few standing churches of this style in the region. The spire resembles the steeple of Salisbury Cathedral -- another tribute from the colonials to Mother England. Not only English residents, but Christian Chinese, Indians, Continental Europeans, and Malays consider this to be their center of worship.

The plasterwork of St. Andrew's inside walls used a material called Madras chunam, which, though peculiar, was a common building material here in the 1880s. A combination of shell lime (without the sand) was mixed with egg whites and coarse sugar or jaggery until it took on the consistency of a stiff paste. The mixture was thinned to a workable consistency with water in which coconut husks had steeped and was then applied to the surface, allowed to dry, and polished with rock crystal or smooth stones to a most lustrous patina. Who would've thought?

The original church bell was presented to the cathedral by Maria Revere Balestier, the daughter of famed American patriot Paul Revere. The bell is now on display in the National Museum of Singapore.

Description:

The Kuan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple is one of the most popular temples in Singapore, attracting an estimated 1,000 devotees every day. The temple is dedicated to the Kuan Yin (also called Guanyin), the goddess of mercy and is seen by devotees as a saviour, hence her popularity. The Temple provided refuge for the sick, wounded and homeless during World War II as it was miraculously spared destruction during the Japanese air force bombings, despite the near-total destruction of virtually all the adjacent buildings. Devotees attribute this miracle to the compassion of Kuan Yin.

The most popular time to visit the temple is on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar calendar. Keep a look out for devotees kneeling before the deities seeking divine intervention in the important decisions in their lives with the help of "Qian" or fortune sticks. The temple's most festive time is the eve of Chinese New Year when it is open all night long, and people turn up in their thousands to offer incense to the goddess of mercy for an auspicious start to the year.

Description:

This temple in the heart of Little India is dedicated to Krishna. Statues of him can be found throughout the temple, along with his consorts Lakshmi and Andal (the goddesses of wealth and beauty respectively), and his vehicle, the mythical bird Garuda. The temple is most famous as the starting point for the annual Thaipusam festival, when devotees walk the streets carrying kavadis (cage-like constructions) supported by giant metal skewers pierced though their tongues and cheeks.

Description:

Jamae Mosque was built by the Chulias, Tamil Muslims who were some of the earlier immigrants to Singapore and who had a very influential hold over Indian Muslim life centered in the Chinatown area. The Chulias built not only this mosque, but the Al-Abrar Mosque and the Nagore Durgha Shrine as well. Jamae Mosque dates from 1827 but wasn't completed until the early 1830s. The mosque stands today almost exactly as it did then.

Although the front gate is typical of mosques you'd see in southern India, inside, most of the buildings reflect the neoclassical style of architecture introduced in administrative buildings and homes designed by George Coleman and favored by the Europeans. There are also some Malay touches in the timber work. A small shrine inside, which may be the oldest part of the mosque, was erected to memorialize a local religious leader, Muhammad Salih Valinva.

Description:

The Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery was founded in 1921 by Venerable Sik Zhuan Daois and is the largest monastery in Singapore. The sprawling complex consists of eleven temples and meditation halls set amongst lawns and gardens. Take your time to wander the tranquil gardens to admire the intricate architectural designs, and elaborate Chinese decorations, and to discover statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva and shrines. Be sure to look out the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, with its thousands of statues concealed in the main stupa, and the Hall of No Form with its towering Bronze Buddha statue.