Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore
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Sri Mariamman Temple | |
---|---|
ஶ்ரீ மாரியம்மன் கோவில் | |
Timiti | |
Location | |
Location | 244 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058793 |
Country | Singapore |
Geographic coordinates | 1°16′57.4″N 103°50′43″E / 1.282611°N 103.84528°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Dravidian architecture |
Creator | Naraina Pillai |
Completed | 1827 |
Designated | 6 July 1973 |
Reference no. | 6 |
Website | |
Official website |
The Sri Mariamman Temple (
The Sri Mariamman Temple was founded in 1827 by Naraina Pillai, eight years after the East India Company established a trading settlement in Singapore. Pillai was a government clerk from Penang who arrived 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 construction company, and also entered the textile trade. He rapidly established himself in business and was identified as a leader of the Indian community.
History
Initially, the British authorities allotted land for a Hindu temple along
The British
In 1823, the current South Bridge Road site was finally granted to Pillai for the purposes of erecting a Hindu temple.[2] The side streets flanking the temple were later renamed in reference to the temple and its prominent tower – Pagoda Street and Temple Street.[3]
By 1827, Pillai had built a simple temple made of wood and attap. In the same year, he installed Sinna Amman, a small representation of the goddess Mariamman, in the temple. Mariamman is a rural South Indian mother goddess who is especially worshipped for protection against diseases. According to the Hindu Endowments Board, the current managers of the temple, the existing deity in the principal shrine of the temple is the original installed by Pillai in 1827. As is the common practice, the temple is named after its principal deity. The temple was also known to devotees over the years as the Sithi Vinayagar and Gothanda Ramaswamy Mariamman Temple or, more simply, Mariamman Kovil (kovil being the Tamil word for temple).
The temple grounds were expanded in 1831 when private land was donated to the temple. This event is recorded on a stone tablet which still stands in the temple. The text inscribed on this tablet reads: "The grant N:075 With its building transferred for charity sake to Cothunda Ramasamy by Sashasalapilly son of Cuddalore Amicarapoatrapilly Singapore March 1831".
The oldest parts of the existing brick structure date to 1843, and additions and alterations were subsequently made at various points in the history of the temple. It is believed that most of this work, especially the elaborate plaster sculptures and ornamentation, were produced by skilled craftsmen from the
The original three-tiered gopuram (entrance tower) was constructed in 1903. It was slimmer and less richly embellished than the current tower. The sides of the tower also appeared to be more stepped than sloping. Nonetheless, it had an iconic presence in Chinatown, and was a widely recognised landmark. The present six-tiered gopuram was built in 1925. It was repaired and restored with an elaborate proliferation of sculptures in the 1960s.
In the 1940s there was a well in the temple compound that has since been filled.
Sri Mariamman Temple was gazetted a
An elevated viewing gallery was added to the temple which is especially popular with spectators during the annual
Social role of the temple
Sri Mariamman Temple is important serving as a refuge for new immigrants, particularly
Art and architecture
Built in the South Indian architecture| style, this temple features a gopuram that rises above the main entrance along South Bridge Road. It is richly embellished with six tiers of sculptures of
The floor plan of the gopuram base block is rectangular and is bisected by an entrance passageway. The entrance contains a pair of very large double-leaf timber doors. The scale of these doors is intended to induce humility in the visitor and emphasise the diminutive human scale in relation to the divine. The doors are studded with small gold bells arranged in a grid pattern, which devotees are supposed to ring as they move through. Footwear is also stored around the entrance area, as it is not allowed within Hindu temples as a sign of respect.
The main entrance with the gopuram is only one of the entrances into the temple compound, which is surrounded by a perimeter wall. Side openings also exist, which open on to the flanking Pagoda Street and Temple Street. However, these are mainly used as service entrances, with all devotees and visitors entering through the gopuram doors. The compound wall is also decorated with ornamental mouldings, as well as figures placed on top of the wall at various points, including several prominent seated cow sculptures.
Within the walled compound, the temple comprises a combination of covered halls, shrines and service areas, as well as courtyards open to the sky. Leading directly from the gopuram entrance through a covered hall is the main prayer area, with richly ornamented columns and ceilings with frescoes. The ceiling paintings include a large mandala diagram.
Shrines and deities
The focus of the main prayer hall is the central shrine of Mariamman, which is flanked by the shrines of two secondary deities, Rama and Murugan. The main prayer hall is surrounded by a series of free-standing shrines, housed in pavilion-like structures with decorated dome roofs, known as Vimana. These are dedicated to the following deities: Durga, Ganesha, and Shiva.
The shrine to
Another important element of the temple is the free-standing flagpole (
Kumbhabhishekham
Kumbhabhishekham is a Hindu temple ritual that is believed to homogenize, synergize and unite the mystic powers of the deity. This process is believed to keep the icon rejuvenated for a period of 12 years. Sri Mariamman Temple's first Kumbhabhishekham was recorded in 1936 whereas the last one has taken place on 12 February 2023 [5]
Festivals
Once every 12 years, in keeping with Hindu tradition, the temple is
See also
References
- ^ "Sri Mariamman Temple". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- OCLC 36165507.
- )
- ^ "Sri Mariamman Temple | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple – Chinatown, Singapore". Hindu Endowment Board. 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-23-3
- Lee Geok Boi (2002), "The Religious Monuments of Singapore: Faith of our Forefathers", Landmark Books, ISBN 981-3065-62-1
- National Heritage Board (2006), "The Encyclopedia of Singapore", Editions Didier Millet, ISBN 981-4155-63-2
- Hindu Endowments Board webpage (Retrieved 16 March 2007)
- Asian Oriental Architecture webpage (Retrieved 16 March 2007)
External links
- Uniquely Singapore website
- Chinatownology: Sri Mariamman
- Hindu Endowments Board website
- Flickr photos of the temple
- Original gopuram image- National Archives of Singapore site
- Asian Historical Architecture: Sri Mariamman Temple
- Geographic data related to Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore at OpenStreetMap