The Sri Mariamman Temple is Singapore's
most ancient Hindu temple. It is an agamic temple, constructed in the Dravidian
style. Situated at 244 South Bridge Road, in the downtown Chinatown area. The
temple assists the greater part Hindu Singaporeans, Tamilians, in the
city-state. Due to its structural and historic importance. The temple has been
gazetted a National Monument and is a major traveler interest. Sri Mariamman
Temple is handled by the Hindu Endowments Board, a statutory board under the
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.
The Sri Mariamman Temple was created in
1827 by Naraina Pillai, eight years after the East India Company founded a
trading agreement in Singapore. Pillai was a government clerk from Penang who
came in Singapore with Sir Stamford Raffles on his second visit to the island
in May 1819. Pillai went on to set up the island's first engineering company,
and also joined the textile trade. He speedily set up himself in business and
was recognized as a leader of the Indian community.
The aim of the main prayer hall is the
central shrine of Mariamman, which is flanked by the shrines of two secondary
Gods, Rama and Murugan. The main prayer hall is bounded by a series of
free-standing shrines, housed in pavilion-like buildings with decorated dome
roofs, known as Vimana. These are devoted to the following Gods: Durga, Ganesh,
and Shiva.
The shrine to Draupadi is the second most
significant in the temple, as she is central to the annual timiti or fire
walking festival held in this temple. To the left of Draupadi are the five
Pandavas from the Mahabharata epic – Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Sahadeva and
Nakula. They are presided over by Lord Krishna. One more significant factor of
the temple is the free-standing flagpole. A few days before main festivals or
ritual ceremonies, a flag is raised here.
Once every 12 years, in maintaining with
Hindu tradition, the temple is reconsecrated. An annual fire walking festival
is organised about a week before Deepavali, the Festival of Lights.
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