Sri Mariamman Temple Singapore’s first Hindu temple was established in 1827 on South Bridge Road, in the heart of Chinatown. It was built for believers in the goddess Sri Mariamman, most of whom came from South India. A statue of the deity was consecrated at the time and still stands in the main sanctum.

Credit for establishing the temple goes to Narayana Pillay, a clerk with the East India Company in Penang who arrived in Singapore with Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. The temple was also known as Sithi Vinayagar and Gothanda Ramaswamy Mariamman Temple, or the Kling Chapel. In its early days, the temple served as the Registry of Marriages, Registry of Deaths and mediation centre for Hindus. Since the 1980s, free medical services have been available at its premises. The temple has been renovated several times. It remains the site of the annual Theemidhi (fire- walking ceremony). The temple was gazetted as a national monument in 1973.

Photo credit: Timothy Auger