May 19, 2026
The Sri Mariamman Temple is Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, built in 1827. It is built in the Dravidian style and is located in the downtown Chinatown district and classified as a National Monument.The founder Naraina Pillai was a government clerk from Penang who arrived in Singapore with Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Pillai set up the islands first construction company and also entered the textile trade. He rapidly established himself and was identified as the leader of the Indian Community.
I was so surprised to see the Temple in Chinatown, on the end of Pagoda Street nonetheless! I had assumed it would be over in Indian Town, but given it's age, I now get the placement. I love all the colors and the statues are so expressive. It is stunning inside and out!
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Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July! Here on the Odyssey we celebrated in the SE Asia Sea on our way to Tioman Island, Malaysia . We have such a talented and dedicated group of residents here, they put together a fun hour of things to celebrate and embrace a lot of what we collectively love about the USA. Even our residents from other countries - Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany , etc. joined in the fun! ( I lent my flag below for decorations)
Vihara Avalokiteshvara Graha or Guan Yin Temple is near 500 Lohan, so we also toured the grounds of this large Temple complex. It's dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and is one the tallest brass statues of her in SE Asia. She is just over 55' tall, coated in 22 carat gold and is surrounded by scenic dragon fruit plantations. The tile work is intricate and textured with great details. The whole place is very tranquil and calming for meditation and prayer.
500 Lohan Temple or Vihara Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was the most interesting place we visited on Bintan Island . It features 500 hand sculpted, life sized, distinctively expressive statues of Buddhist disciplines (Lohans) surrounding a tranquil courtyard. They are arranged symetrical, in an arc and it's interesting how some pop out, as you look down the rows. The statues were crafted by artist in China from 2010 to 2017 when the temple was inaugurated; no two are alike.