The Hindu temple Sri Mariamman on Temple Street, Singapore Bjoertvedt – Wikimedia

Top 10 Surprising Facts about Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore


 

The Sri Mariamman Temple is a Hindu temple found in Singapore. It is located at 244 South Bridge Road, in the downtown Chinatown district. It serves the majority of Hindu Singaporeans, and Tamilians, in the city-state.

Mariamman Kovil or Kling Street Temple as it was earlier known was constructed for worship by immigrants from the Nagapatnam and Cuddalore districts of South India in 1827.

It is dedicated to Mari Amman, the goddess of the expulsion of infectious diseases such as cholera and plague.

The temple tower, six stories, houses statues of gods, beasts, and other gods. Indian soldiers in the dark green uniforms of the British reign are also visible.

1. It is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore

 Photo by Shäng Dì on Unsplash

Sri Mariamman Hindu temple is almost as old as Singapore itself. Much of the present building is believed to date from 1862/63. It was established by Indian pioneer Naraina Pillai and was constructed by immigrants from the Nagapatnam and Cuddalore districts of South India.

It was originally a wood-and-attap structure but was reconstructed with bricks in 1843. It is managed by the Hindu Endowments Board and was gazetted as a national monument on 28 June 1973.

2. Sri Mariammam’s gopuram is magnificent and colorful

Detail view of the gopuram (tower) at the entrance of the Sri Mariamman Temple (Singapore). Image by  AngMoKio. – Wikimedia

The gopuram can also be interpreted as a tower gateway. It is an outstanding feature of Sri Mariamman Temple. The grand tower crowns its entrance on South Bridge Road. It is a distinctive feature of Dravidian-style temples, in South India.

This elaborate structure is embellished with sculptures of Hindu deities, ornamental carvings, mythological beasts, and other cultural figures. They are all made of plaster, crafted by skilled artisans from the Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts in South India. Their fine details along with a variety of bright and vivid patterns make Sri Mariamman gopuram a visual delight.

The gopuram is flanked by the statues of two significant Tamil deities, Murugan on the right and Krishna on the left. The former is the patron deity of Tamils and the Hindu god of war. On the other hand, Krishna is the god of compassion, tenderness, and love.

3. It is monumental

Singapore. Sri Mariamman. Gopuram.  Image by Sculptures of South West facade Shesmax – Wikimedia

Sri Mariamman temple is of great importance. It has a rich history. It served as a refuge for new immigrants during colonial times, particularly South Indian Tamil Hindus.

Not only did it provide an important place of worship for these immigrants, but also granted them shelter until they found work and more permanent accommodation.

It also served as an important focal point for community activities and acted as the Registry of Marriages for Hindus at a time when only the temple was authorized to solemnize Hindu marriages.

Several festivals are celebrated here. The most famous is Theemithi (Fire walking ceremony) held annually in October/ November. Other important festivals are Navarathiri and Sankabishegam. 

4. Sri Mariammam is declared holy every 12 years

Interior of Sri Mariammam Temple, Singapore. Image by Zairon – Wikimedia

Hindu temples are reconsecrated every 12 years after renovation and restoration. Artisans from South India are usually engaged to do the work.

According to the temple’s records, the first known kumbabishegam (consecration) ceremony was conducted in June 1936. Subsequent kumbabishegam ceremonies were held in June 1949, 6 June 1971, 6 September 1984, and 19 May 1996.

The last reconsecration was in April 2010. This was after a $4-million restoration project. A team of about 20 artists was brought in from India for the project, which included repainting all the stone deities.

5. It is the most famous Hindu temple in Singapore

Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore. Image by Erwin Soo – Wikimedia

There are currently about thirty main temples in Singapore, dedicated to various gods and goddesses from the Hindu pantheon. However, Sri Mariamman Temple is the most famous.

What makes it famous is the gopuram and the fact that visitors have the chance to see priests performing ancient rituals or chanting prayers (puja) and worshippers offering tropical fruits to the temple’s deities.

It is also the biggest and oldest Hindu temple in Singapore and is oddly found in the middle of Chinatown.

6. The ornate and elaborate detailing on the temple’s interior and exterior is a wonder to behold

Ceiling inside Sri Mariammam Temple, Singapore Zairon – Wikimedia

Apart from impressive striking gopuram, the architecture is to die for. Within the temple compound are shrines capped with colorful domes called vimanam. Near the temple’s ablution area is a flagpole, on which a flag is raised some days before an important festival or ritual to announce the preparations for it.

Sculptures of cows, sacred to Hindus, can also be found on the boundary walls around the compound.

Flanked by square columns, the mandapam (main hall) is a long nave with elaborate ceiling paintings, some of which feature the mandala, a ritual symbol that represents the universe and the state of nirvana.

Installed in the inner sanctum is a small statue of Sri Mariamman, which remains covered except during puja (services) and certain festivals. This is the same statue that Pillai had installed at the temple’s founding.

This main shrine is sandwiched between two secondary shrines dedicated to Draupadi, a heroine in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, and Rama, the avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Other deities worshipped in Sri Mariamman Temple include Ganesha, the Elephant God, as well as Aravan, depicted in the form of a severed head, who is believed to be a sacrificial victim in one of the great battles in Mahabharata.

7. Sri Mariammam celebrates a fire walking ceremony annually

Photo by Peter Yost on Unsplash

One of the most famous festivals practiced here is the Theemithi. Every year, Sri Mariamman Temple celebrates Theemithi, during which Draupadi is honored. Since the temple’s early years, the festival has been one of its mainstays.

Theemithi takes place in either October or November and commemorates Draupadi’s victory when – according to the Mahabharata – she walked on fire to prove her virtuosity and chastity.

As part of the celebrations, devotees begin their four-kilometer procession from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road to Sri Mariamman Temple. The highlight of the festive celebrations is the fire-walking ceremony, during which male devotees walk barefoot across a bed of burning charcoal measuring approximately three meters in length before stepping into a pit of milk.

8. A landowner gave up his land for its expansion

Gopuram of Sri Mariammam Temple, Singapore. Image by Zairon – Wikimedia

The temple compound was enlarged when an Indian landowner, Seshasalam Pillai, gave some of his lands to the temple. A granite slab in the temple commemorates this donation.

The oldest sections of the present brick structure were constructed circa 1843. Highly skilled craftsmen from India and even China were employed for the building project.

In 1915, the firm Swan & Maclaren was appointed to design a new sheltered walkway between the entrance tower and the main building, following the 1910 fire which destroyed the former attap-covered walkway.

9. Sri Mariammam has gigantic doors

Sri Miriammam entrance. Image by Daibo Taku – Wikimedia

Another amazing feature of the temple is its massive doors. Beneath the gopuram, there are two imposing double-leaf timber doors leading into the temple.

Their immersive scale emphasizes the insignificance of human nature compared to the divine. Strings of bananas and fresh mangoes hang above the temple doors. They are a symbol of prosperity and happiness.

10. The gopuram serves as a beacon for pilgrims & visitors

View of the gopuram from South Bridge Road, Singapore. Image by Zairon – Wikimedia

The gopuram of Sri Mariamman Temple is widely recognized in Singapore’s Chinatown. Its great height acts as a beacon for worshippers which allows them to offer prayers or meditate before entering the temple.

It is engraved with countless Indian gods and a standard South Indian temple architecture.

The six-story gopuram is adorned with colorful sculptures of deities and mythological beings.  It is one of Singapore’s most unmistakable landmarks.

 

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