Sri Mariamman Temple - Singapore's Oldest Hindu Temple

Sri Mariamman Temple - Singapore's Oldest Hindu Temple

Photo: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

A stop on Singapore: Marina Bay to Chinatown, a free self-guided tour.

A few steps on, the tower crowded with painted gods and goddesses is the gopuram of Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. Naraina Pillai, who sailed from Penang with Raffles in 1819 and became the island's first building contractor, founded it in 1827. The goddess Mariamman, a South Indian mother goddess, is worshipped for protection against disease - a powerful comfort in a crowded port town.

The oldest parts of the present brick temple date from 1843. The six-tiered tower you see was built in 1925, replacing a slimmer three-tiered one. Look closely at the figures on it, each one carefully repainted during renovations.

It is a busy, working temple and a national monument since 1973. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times: leave your shoes at the racks by the entrance, cover your shoulders and knees, and walk clockwise around the shrines. Ask before taking photos of people at worship.

Getting here: Continue south on South Bridge Road for about a minute; the temple's tall tower is on your right just past Pagoda Street.

Did you know?: Every year, about a week before Deepavali, devotees walk barefoot across a pit of glowing coals in the temple grounds during the Theemithi firewalking festival.

Photo op: Cross South Bridge Road and shoot from the far sidewalk to fit the whole gopuram in one frame; a wide lens helps.

More on Wikipedia: Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore · Naraina Pillai · Thimithi

Stops on this tour

  1. Merlion Park - Half Lion, Half Fish
  2. The Fullerton Hotel - Singapore's Old Post Office
  3. Cavenagh Bridge - Iron from Glasgow
  4. Asian Civilisations Museum - The Old Government Offices
  5. Raffles' Landing Site - Where Colonial Singapore Began
  6. Boat Quay - The Belly of the Carp
  7. Jamae Mosque - The Chulia Mosque
  8. Sri Mariamman Temple - Singapore's Oldest Hindu Temple
  9. Pagoda Street - From Coolie Trade to Street Market
  10. Chinatown Heritage Centre - Life in a Shophouse
  11. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - A New Temple in Tang Style
  12. Maxwell Food Centre - Lunch, Hawker Style