Temples in Singapore

Sri Mariamman Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, a Hindu deity known for curing illness, disease and epidemics. The temple reflects the Dravidian style of architecture prevalent in South India. Dating from 1827 and now a National Monument, its six-tiered gopuram carries plasterwork images of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple rises five storeys over South Bridge Road in Chinatown, built in 2007 in a Tang-dynasty style far older than the building itself. The relic it is named for sits in a gold stupa on the fourth floor, with a museum, a teahouse and a roof garden elsewhere in the building. It is the most visited temple here, and Sri Mariamman stands a few doors along the same street.

Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho on Waterloo Street is dedicated to Guan Yin and is the busiest working temple in the city, thick with incense and queues for fortune sticks rather than with visitors taking photographs. The Hindu Sri Krishnan temple stands next door, and worshippers routinely make offerings at both. It is the one here most clearly in daily use.

Leong San See Temple is a Buddhist temple in Singapore located in Little India. First built in 1926, this shrine is dedicated to Guan Yin or Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy. Its name translates as Dragon Mountain Temple, and the carved roof ridges are crowded with ceramic dragons, phoenixes and flowers.

The Thian Hock Keng Temple is Chinatown's oldest and most important Hokkien temple in Singapore, its name translating as a 'Palace of Heavenly Happiness'. Also known as Tianfu Temple, it was built for the worship of Mazu, a Chinese sea Goddess. Raised between 1839 and 1842 beside what was then the shoreline, it was where Hokkien sailors gave thanks for a safe passage.

Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya on Race Course Road is better known as the Temple of a Thousand Lights, after the bulbs ringing the 15-metre seated Buddha inside it. A Thai monk, Vutthisasara, founded it, and Thai, Burmese and Chinese elements sit side by side throughout. Leong San See is a few minutes away on the same road, so the two are usually seen together.

Situated at the Mohamed Sultan Road in the river valley region within the central area, Hong San See is a Chinese temple in Singapore dedicated to Guang Ze Zun Wang, the Chinese God of Fortune. Hong San See, meaning 'Temple on Phoenix Hill', is built on a slightly elevated ground.

Located in the heart of Singapore's 'Little India', Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is one of the oldest and grandest Hindu temples in Singapore. A riot of colours and magnificence, the temple is dedicated to Veeramakaliamman or the goddess Kali, the fierce embodiment of Shakti, and the 'destroyer of evil'.

The Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple is a Hindu place of worship located along Serangoon Road in Little India, Singapore. A shrine to Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God of Preservation, this temple is known for its magnificently ornate 20-metre-high Gopuram (entrance tower) which depicts the various incarnations of the deity.

Impossible to miss while visiting Waterloo Street, the colourful Sri Krishnan Temple is a Hindu temple in Singapore dedicated to Lord Krishna and his consort Rukmini. Initially established as a tiny shrine under a banyan tree, the temple today comprises of a large prayer hall and a massive four-storeyed annexe.

Another temple located paradoxically in Chinatown neighbourhood of Singapore, Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesh, brother or Lord Murugan. Like the other South Indian temples, this marvellous temple also stuns with its exquisite architecture and vibrantly carved gopuram.

The sacred Taoist temple Siang Cho Keong Temple, sitting in a quiet corner off Amoy Street in Singapore, was established in 1867 by the local Hokkien Community. Formerly known as Zhi Yun Miao, it was built on this site for its good feng shui, with the sea in front and a hill behind. Its presiding deity is Tua Pek Kong, the god of prosperity.

Situated at the Geylang Avenue in Singapore, the stupendous Sri Sivan Temple is a place of worship of the Hindu God, Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the temple. This temple can very well be considered as a modern structure, with the fusion of both South and North Indian architectural influences adding to the aura of this holy place. Type: Hinduism

Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple is a Hindu Temple located on 555 Serangoon Road of Little India in Singapore. It is dedicated to Vadapathira and Kaliamman deities who were worshipped by the Chola Kings during their reign for power and protection. Shrines to Shiva, Hanuman, Ganesha and Kuber stand alongside the main deity.

The Balasubramaniar Temple, located at Yishun Industrial Park in Singapore, is one of the most popular Hindu temples in the metropolitan. It is mostly visited during the annual Panguni Uthiram’ festival held in March-April, during which the idol of Lord Murugan is carried out in a huge colourful procession. Type: Hinduism

Located at Ceylon Road in Singapore, the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple is a 150-year-old Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The temple is most famous for the four granite structures depicting Lord Ganesha in 32 poses. This was the successful work of 20 Indian artisans who spent 20 years on this masterpiece.

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, on Tank Road, is one of Singapore's most beautiful and vibrant temples. Completed in 1859, it is also one of the oldest. Since the temple was built by the Nattukkotai Chettiyar community, who were Shaivas or worshipers of Lord Shiva, the temple is also often called Chettiyar's Temple.

Sri Muneeswaran Temple, considered to be the largest shrine in Southeast Asia dedicated to Sri Muneeswaran, is situated on the Tanglin Halt Road at Commonwealth Drive Singapore. The name joins 'muni', meaning saint, with 'ishwar', meaning god. Sri Muneeswaran is held to be the god of acting, so local actors come here to pray.

Sitting behind the crimson gates at Peck Seah Street, the quirky Seng Wong Beo Temple, also known as the Du Cheng Huang Gu Miao Temple, has unflinchingly preserved the age-old practice of hosting ghost marriages. Devoted to Wei Ling Gong, the Chinese City God, this temple is where the wedding bells are chimed for the deceased. Type: Hinduism

Burmese Buddhist Temple is one of the most popular among the myriad of Buddhist temples in Singapore, located near the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. This place of worship is the oldest Theravada institution and the sole Burmese Buddhist Temple with traditional Burmese architecture in Singapore.

Situated in Changi Village of Singapore, Sri Ramar Temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Rama. One of the most popular Vaishnavite temples in the city, it houses the idols of Lord Rama, Lord Buddha and Quan Yin - the Chinese Goddess of Mercy. This makes it one of the few temples enshrining varied religions.

Well known as Wak Hai Cheng Bio, Yueh Hai Ching Temple is one of the oldest Taoist temples in Singapore. Located in Raffles Place in the heart of Singapore’s central business district, the temple is dedicated to Xuan Tian Shang Di and Tian Hou Sheng Mu, and is also known as the 'Temple of Love'.

Wei Tuo Fa Gong sits on a low hill on Pulau Ubin, above a pond full of turtles and carp, and reaching it means a bumboat from Changi Point and then a walk or a rented bicycle. Shrines to several deities share the one building. It is the only temple on this list that is not on the main island, and the only one that takes half a day.

Another Murugan temple in Singapore, Sri Murugan Hill Temple is located along the Upper Bukit Timah Road. Located on top of a hillock, the vibrant architecture and intricate carvings are what makes the temple worth visiting. The major draw of the Murugan Temple is the commanding view of the entire city. Type: Hinduism

The Lakshmi Narayan Temple, located in the Little India neighbourhood, is the only temple catering to the North Indian Hindu community in Singapore. Quite unlike the captivating South Indian temples, it is built somberly in plain architectural style with no towering gopuram or exquisite carvings.

The vibrant Kuan Im Tng Temple is situated at the heart of Joo Chiat in Tembeling Road Singapore and is thronged by devotees throughout the year. In addition to being a temple, Kuan Im Tng (devoted to Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy) also doubles as a spiritual hub for the Buddhist fraternity and home to the religions of Taoism and Confucianism.

The Loyang Tua Pek Kong is a multi-religious temple in Singapore, hosting three varied religions under a single roof - Hinduism, Buddhist and Taoism. En route Changi Village, this all-faith temple even has a shrine dedicated to Datuk Kung, a Malay mystic saint.