TEMPLE HOPPING

Singapore has many  beautiful temples.  It's not possible to travel in Singapore without seeing at least one temple on your way wherever you go. You cannot visit all of them during one vacation.  But there are some that you shouldn't miss.  Here are some of the exquisite temples we visited in Singapore.

Thian Hock Keng Temple

Situated on Telok Ayer Street, this is one of the oldest Taoist temples in Singapore . Until I visited this place I had always thought that all Chinese Temples are Buddhist temples.  Chinese religion takes a while to understand but going around trying to understand Chinese Mythology I realised it has some resemblance to Hinduism.

Inside the Temple premises

Chinese have different Gods and Goddesses in charge of the various elements of earthly life.

This temple is dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea.  

 Devotees burn joss sticks (Agarbatti) before the Deities and it is believed that the upward fumes carry their prayers  to heaven.  Offerings of fruits especially oranges are placed in front of the Deities.

Below is a temple of the God of Death. The record keeper of Hell(similar to Chitragupta in Hindu Philosophy) reads out the record of  deeds of the  newly arrived souls.  The Lord of death (Yamadeva in Hindu philosophy) decides the fate of the deceased after judgment.  At the funeral bank notes and Cigarettes are offered . ..as bribe....to reduce punishments.

The Goddess of Mercy with thousand hands and thousand eyes (similar to Goddess Durga of Hinduism) who tries to save living entities from their material suffering......

There is also a temple of Lord Buddha....

There's a wishing well inside the temple where you ring the bell, throw a coin into the well and pray with folded hands.  It's believed that your wish will come true.....

It's a nice Temple where you get to enjoy Chinese Mythology....a must see I should say.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

This Buddhist temple is located on South Bridge Road in China Town.

The tranquility and peace as you enter the temple is worth mentioning.  We walked around marvelling at the amazing artwork...

The second and third floors house a wonderful museum and the Relic.

The museum on the third floor ......

Vegetarian food is served at the basement for S$3 per plate which is the cheapest in town.  The set meal consists of 1 main dish...you can choose between white rice and vermicelli.....and then choose any 3 from the various vegetable dishes.  I liked only the rice and the tofu curry. Soft drinks can be purchased from a stand next to the buffet counter.

Before leaving we bought the Eight Auspicious Emblem Gold coin from the souvenir counter on the ground floor. Keep it in your wallet. It is supposed to bring good luck.

Sri Mariamman Temple

A few steps away from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple on the same street is Singapore's oldest Hindu Shrine of Sri Mariamman a Temple dedicated to Goddess Durga.

Temple gate on the left side of the street

The Temple gate on the right side of the street

The beautiful Gopuram with colourful sculptures , over the main entrance makes it unique from the other buildings of Chinese architecture around the place.

It's a typical Tamilian  temple of India.

Photos are permitted only upon payment.

Between The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and The Mariamman Temple, on the opposite side of the street is the shop Eu Yan Sang where u get nice traditional Chinese herbal medicines/tonics and beauty & health concoctions.

Sri Lakshmi Narayan Temple

Located on Chander Road in Little India this North Indian  Temple is just 2 minutes walk from Little India MRT.

The main Altar has Lord Krishna and Rugmini at the centre and Lord Vishnu & Lakshmi and Lord Rama & Sita Devi on either side.  Deities of Saraswati Devi, Lord Ganesh, the great devotee Hanuman and other Devatas are also worshipped. A nice serene place of worship standing on a quiet lane.

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple

Just a short walk from Sri Lakshmi Narayan Temple is yet another South Indian Tamil style Temple dedicated to Goddess Kali, the Veeramakaliamman Temple.  Located on Serangoon Road in Little India this is one of the most spectacular places of Singapore.

We visited the temple in the morning when nice curd rice was being served as Prasadam.

There are also a lot of  restaurants around.  Next to the  the temple is "Kailash Parbat" a vegetarian joint which has good food.

The Suriya Restaurant just across the road.....

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple

Located on Serangoon Road, Little India this Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is about 700 metres from Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.

The "Gopurams" look beautiful with the different incarnations of Lord Vishnu carved on it.

 It was on a Sunday that we visited the temple and there was a fairly good crowd of devotees and tourists in the temple.  Puliyodarai (Tamarind Rice), Channa Masala (Chickpea Curry) and a sweet dish Kesari was served as Prasadam at the Temple premises.

There are also quite a lot of restaurants around the place.  MTR is a veg joint just opposite to the temple which has good food especially South Indian.

The Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple (The Temple of 1000 Lights)

This Temple is located in Race Course Road in Little India which is again a short walk from Sri  Srinivasa Perumal Temple.

As you enter the temple you can see the massive statue of Buddha in a seated position.

Just behind the massive statue of the Buddha you can go down a few steps to view the Buddha in a reclining posture. It is said that the Buddha attained Nirvana in this posture.  Photography is not allowed at this spot.

This is a beautiful Temple and a visit to this Temple is recommended if time permits.

Leong San See Temple

Diagonally opposite to the Temple of 1000 lights is the Taoist Temple Leong San See meaning 'Dragon Mountain Temple'.

There were not many visitors here ....a small little Temple.... a nice quiet place....

After the temple visits you can exit from Ferrar Park MRT Station which is less than 10 minutes walk from this Temple.

Watch out for my next post on SENTOSA
Sentosa

Singapore at Night

SINGAPORE AT NIGHT

Singapore is a wonderful city with lots of attractions.......and when the sun goes down there are a lot more exciting places to visit....the topspot to me  being Clark Quay....a fantastic place to hang out.

It was our cousin who took us out for dinner to Clarke Quay.  The night was vibrant and colourful and the place was buzzing with music.

There are lot of things to do and see in Clarke Quay. ....shopping......dining.... Enjoying music...watching belly dancers perform.....then there is the  E Max bungy (oops I have a phobia for heights and didn't go for it - unfortunately I'm unable to download the video we shot) ........or take a cruise along the Singapore river.......

Cruise by the Singapore River

A lot of restaurants are out doors adding charm to the place. There's Indian.....Persian...Chinese....Mexican...Spanish....Italian.....the list is endless.  Lose yourself in these wonderful eateries on both sides....stroll alongside the Singapore river enjoying the cool breeze.

We had our dinner at the Mexican Tacqueria.  We ordered Burritos, Tacos and Nachos  which came with "the world's hottest sauce".  I love spicy food but this sauce was really hot I nearly burnt my tongue.... Nevertheless I relished it..

Fort Canning Park, another attraction in Singapore is just across the road.

Clarke Quay is a place buzzing with life.....I fell in love with the place......it's definitely worth a visit..... And yes...I'll definitely come back on my next visit to Singapore.



Night Adventure on Funvee

Our  2  1/2 hr Funvee Night Adventure was part of the Singapore City Tours package.  The night Adventure starts with the light and sound show "Garden Rhapsody" at  Gardens by the Bay.

The gardens come alive at night with  mesmerizing light and sound shows.

Garden Rhapsody is a  fifteen minute show at the Super Trees Grove. The show was amazing. Tourists were going crazy clicking pictures of the colourful trees....

The cactus garden ...... At Gardens by the Bay...

City by night.....as seen from the open top Funvee bus......

The Arts and Culture Museum...

Fullerton Hotel

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in China Town....

Mariamman Temple in China Town.....

The Singapore Flyer....

Clark Quay....

After a lovely tour through the city at night we reached Buggis......The souvenir shop at Buggis from where everyone purchased a few souvenirs......That  was the end of our Funvee Night Adventure.

Singapore has quite a  few light and sound shows which brighten up the night with a dazzling display of multicoloured lights. There's the 'Wonderful Light' show at Marina Bay Sands (unfortunately we missed it as the show was suspended at that time), the 'Wings of Time' and the 'Crane Dance'...both in Sentosa. Except the Wings of Time all other light and sound shows are free entry.


Crane Dance at Sentosa

The crane dance at Sentosa is a less than 10 minutes light and sound show which depicts the romance between two mechanical cranes.

The website said the show was at 9 PM but it was actually at 8 o'clock.  Luckily we enquired over phone and got to know the timing.  It was a Saturday.  Being  week end traffic was really bad and by the time we reached the place the show had already begun.   The last 5 minutes of the show was all that we saw.  However I must admit it was simply marvellous.

I will surely come back for a complete viewing during my next visit to Singapore.

Wings of Time is another 20 Minutes  light and sound show at Sentosa. ( Unfortunately the power of battery in my  phone was low and I could not take pictures. ). It's a tale of friendship....a travel across the mysteries of space and time.......a laser show combined with fireworks display accompanied by music......a beautiful show indeed.

There are a lot many things to do in Singapore after sunset including the Night Safari which I've already mentioned in my previous post on 'Wild Life Parks'.....Singapore transforms into an amazing city at night......the night attractions are a must see.....
I'll be back with more......soon.