Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Singapore

April 27, 2009 in Asia

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple located in Serangoon area in Singapore. Serangoon area is considered as a little Indian where a large number of Indians inhabited settle there from 19th century. This is the only Hindu temple located in Singapore preserving and enriching Indian culture.

History of Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Singapore
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple is an old Hindu temple of god Vishnu. Constructed in 1855 by a Hindu devotee named Narasimhaloo Naidu with the grant from the government, it has a rich cultural history. When it was constructed, the surrounded area used to be filled with ponds and vegetable gardens. There was also a stream which was used to cleanse before visiting god. Now the stream is replaced by well.

Deities in the Temple
Main deity worshipped in the temple is Perumal or lord Vishnu along with Andal, the goddess of beauty and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth with a garuda vahana (sacred bird to Hindus.) Other temples include Brahma (the creator) temple and Shiva (the destroyer) temple. This is the temple of Krishna, embodiment of lord Vishnu. You will see his statues in the color of blue. Temple ceiling is beautifully designed and carved describing the nine planets of universe. In 1966, five tier Gopuram was constructed with the help of donation from P. Govindasamy Pillai. Entire temple is constructed in Dravidian architectural style.

The Taipusam Festival
Every year Hindus here celebrate Taipusam festival. It is the festival of lord Subramaniam, mostly celebrated by Tamil Hindus. You can see some processions like kavadi attam and other rituals. Kavadi attam is a form of sacred dance holding a cage like structure as a part of worship of lord Murugan. It emphasize on the debt relief. Devotees pray to god to relieve them from all burdens and offer them moksha. You can also see people piercing metal skewers into their tongue and cheeks as a part of procession. In 1978, the temple was given the honor of national monument by the government.

Interesting Destinations nearby Sri Perumal Temple
Temple of 1,000 Lights (Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya): This is Lord Buddha temple. Its construction is influenced by Thai architectural style. You can see various styles of Buddha statues.

Little India: If you want to taste the Singapore food or Indian food, this is the best place. You can find many restaurants that offer services within reasonable price. You can also enjoy shopping if you are a shopping freak.

Sri Veranda Kaliamman Temple: This is the temple of goddess Kali. A powerful incarnation of goddess Devi or Durga, temple was constructed in the year around 1855. Again, it was renovated in the year 1987. This is also a famous Hindu temple.

Singapore Accommodation
Singapore is economically developed state. You can find all kinds of accommodations within reasonable price. Best hotels are Parkroyal on Kitchener Road, Raffles Hotel Singapore, InterContinental Singapore, Somerset Bencoolen, and Naumi Hotel or you can check here for a full list of Hotels in Singapore. You can also stay at top quality restaurants that include Azmi Muslim Restaurant, Sungei Road Laksa at Jin Shui Kopitiam, and Ananda Bhavan. Visit the religious and historic places in Singapore and have fun.