Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, Singapore

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, Singapore (30 July 2017)

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple (GPS: 1.29431, 103.84305) is a Hindu temple at Tank Road in the Museum Planning Area of downtown Singapore. This is the oldest Hindu temple of the Chettiar community in Singapore, which also built the Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple at Keong Saik Road. But the Sri Thendayuthapani, established in 1859, is far older, by some sixty years to be precise.

The Chettiars, to be exact the Nattukottai Chettiars, who are also known as the Nagarathars, are South Indians who migrated from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu in southern India. They are worshippers of Hindu deity Shiva, who is the father of the deity Murugan. On arriving in Singapore, the Chettiars brought their religion over and built this temple to worship Murugan. But in addition to Murugan, there are also shrines within the temple to Shiva, to Murugan's mother Parvati, to the elephant god Ganesha, to Idumban, who is invoked by kavadi carriers, to Nandi the divine bull and to Navagraha, which comprises nine deities associated with the heavenly bodies.¹

In keeping with the Hindu tradition of temple renewal every 12-year cycle, the Sri Thendayuthapani has undergone many rounds of minor and major renovations, restorations, upgradings and expansions. The present form dates to the late 1970s, with a building fund amounting to S$3.3 million. It was during this reconstruction that its present fiver-tier gopuram, or temple tower, was built. It was the tallest gopuram in Southeast Asia at time of completion, and was consecrated in the presence of Mr C.V. Devan Nair, the President of Singapore, and attended by Mrs Devan Nair and various Members of Parliament. The temple has seen further rounds of restorations, with the most recent re-consecration happening on 27 November 2009.

The Sri Thendayuthapani Temple is the terminus for the annual Thaipusam possession which starts at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road.

On 20 October 2014, the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple was gazetted as a National Monument of Singapore.

Contact

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple
15 Tank Road,
Singapore 238065

Taking the MRT to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple

The nearest MRT station is the Fort Canning MRT Station (DT20), which is 300 meters away on foot.

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple is on the Map of Tank Road, Singapore

The five-tier gopuram of Sri Thendayuthapani Temple (30 July 2017)