Singapore is known for its diverse culture. Everything practiced over here is a mixture of European, Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. As all the customs and heritages are also derived from South Asian, Eurasian, Malay and East Asian countries, Singapore is also popular with the names like “Garden City”, “East meets West” and “Easy Asia”. If you are an Indian then you just need to feel proud in Singapore. You will get to see some great pictures of India in Singapore. This article will make you well accustomed to many information related to Indian cultural heritage found in Singapore.
If you are planning to travel to Singapore then you should try Air India flight booking on Flightxp. I recommend that because it was very much more comfortable for me. Keeping this in mind let’s start this article with some of the iconic places depicting Indian culture found here.
Sri Mariamman Temple (Dravidian)
The resplendent six-layered grand tower entrance, also known as gopuram, situated at the main entrance of this temple completely reflects the architecture related to the Dravidian Style. The façade is also decorated with several mythological figures as well as Hindu deities. There is a big prayer hall present inside the temple. Behind that, there are several small rooms where people can worship different deities. Sri Mariamman Temple in Singapore is the oldest of all Hindu temples present in the country. It is the main center for the Hindu community living in Singapore. This temple was constructed in due respect of Goddess Mariamman. She is popularly known for her power to cure any kind of epidemic illness. Every year several travelers come here to get a pleasant mind and soul.
Location: 244 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058793.
Near Chinatown MRT station.
Sree Ramar Temple (Dravidian)
Architecture of this Dravidian temple is much the same as the Sri Mariamman one we discussed above. There are still some features which make Sree Ramar temple unique in its own way. Apart from having statues of the gods and goddesses of the Hindu like Rama this temple is also a pilgrimage ground of Lord Buddha and Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy). This reflects multi-religious makeup of Singapore.
Location: 51 Changi Village Road, Singapore 509908.
Near Tanah Merah MRT Station
Sultan Mosque (Indo-Saracenic revival)
The present structure of “Masjid Sultan” was constructed completely in the year 1932. It bears every one of the trademarks related to the Indo-Saracenic style. This style is an Indian-British style. It joins several traditions relating to Persia, Turkey, and Moorish. This mosque was constructed in the 19th century for the great ruler, Sultan Hussein Shah. With fabulous minarets and a brilliant vault roosted at the top, the exterior part of the mosque is a good sight for your eyes as well as cameras. If you will look closely then you will see that the bottom of this dome is decorated with glass bottles all around. This structural arrangement empowered all individuals from the Muslim group to add to the development of this mosque.
Location: 3 Muscat Street, Singapore 198833.
Near Bugis MRT station.
So till now, we have seen all the architectures that depict the Indian culture. But this is not enough in Singapore. While walking in the streets you will feel that it’s your own country, India. Let’s reveal why it is so.
Little India is one of the most vibrant streets in Singapore. Stroll down Serangoon Road and neighboring lanes, you will discover a good blend of Chinese and Hindu temples, churches and mosques. It creates up to a soothing sensation with its extraordinary sound, sight, and smell. A good walk in this street will demonstrate you with all the culture related to the Hindu community that has withstood the trial of time. The smell of Indian spices from the restaurants will make your mouth juicy. The smell of flowers coming from the shops will make you buy one and protect it for a lifetime.
A museum known as the Indian Heritage Centre is also situated in Little India. It was established on 7th May 2015 and covers 3,090 square meters of land. It will boon you with good knowledge about the history and culture of Indian Singaporeans.
If you are feeling hungry now and want to fill your tummy then you have different Indian options here. You have South Indian dishes like Dosal, Idli, Vada, etc, and North Indian tandoori dishes. You will also get rotis and parathas here. If you are a tea lover then you will get a good hot milk tea to refresh your mind.
Walk a bit further and you will see several shops selling legal and authentic products such as jewelry, saris, etc. designed in India. So just grab some of them and try it yourself. Your walk will end at one of the famous temple known as the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. This temple was established in the year, 1855. The best thing about this temple is that it is made only by Indian people who came to Singapore at that time for work. They made this temple to worship their God in a foreign land. The 1st name given to this temple was Sunnambu Kambam Kovil. In Tamil, it meant temple at the lime village. Numerous Indians who used to pray in the temple worked in lime furnaces in the region. Lime was considered a good material for constructing buildings during those days. It was a miracle that during World War II several bombs were dropped in the country but not a single of them made any harm to the temple and its statues. It is said that the Goddess Kali protected the people praying in the temple. This tour will take you nearly two and a half hour and I swear that you are going to enjoy a lot.
Singapore is really a great country for the Indians. The best time to give a visit to this country is during the festive season of Deepavali and Pongal. You will see the joy and charm all around. Hope that I have shared a lot of info regarding the country. So have a happy and safe journey ahead.
