Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple is located at 397 Serangoon Road. It is one of Singapore’s earliest Hindu temples and is known for being the starting point for kavadi carriers during the Thaipusam festival. It was gazetted as a national monument on 10 November 1978. Perumal, or Lord Vishnu, has been the main deity in this temple.
History
The land that the temple sits on was purchased from the government in the 1850s, but the temple was constructed only in the 1870s. A large pond and the mandapam or main hall were the main features of the original temple, known as Narasinga Perumal Kovil. The pond, which devotees used for cleansing, was filled up in the 1920s for health reasons.
In 1907, the temple came under the administration of the Mohammedan and Hindu Endowments Board. In 1952, the Board decided that the temple should be reconstructed as it was in bad shape. Redevelopment began in 1961 and was fully completed in 1966, with much of it financed by P. Govindasamy Pillai, a prominent merchant and philanthropist who was a devotee of the temple. Craftsmen from South India were brought in to undertake the more intricate works. The wedding hall that later became synonymous with the temple was built as part of the redevelopment project. During this period, the temple was renamed Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple.
In 1977, construction began on the elaborate gopuram or entrance tower, the most striking feature of the temple. Also financed by Pillai, the tower was completed in early 1979. The temple has since undergone further renovations and additions.
Variant names
Indian: Narasinga Perumal Temple, or Narasinga Perumal Kovil.
Author
Renuka M.
References
Hindu Endowments Board. (n.d.). Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple. Retrieved August 20, 2002, from Hindu Endowments Board website: http://www.heb.gov.sg/
Lee, G. B. (2002). The religious monuments of Singapore: Faiths of our forefathers (pp. 68-71). Singapore: Preservation of Monuments Board: Landmark Books.
(Call No.: RSING 726.095957 LEE)
Liu, G. (1996). In granite and chunam: The national monuments of Singapore (pp. 122-125). Singapore: Landmark Books and Preservation of Monuments Board.
(Call no.: RSING 725.94095957 LIU)
New prayer hall. (2005, May 23). The Straits Times. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from Factiva database.
Further readings
Corkkavacal [Beyond divine doors]. (2005). Cinkappur: Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple.
(Call no.: RSING Tamil 294.535095957 SOR)
Kwek, L. J., et al. (2009). Resonance: Songs of our forefathers (pp. 54-63). Singapore: Preservation of Monuments Board.
(Call no.: RSING 725.94095957 RES)
Sri Perumal Temple. (2010). Retrieved October 25, 2010, from Preservation of Monuments Board website: http://www.pmb.sg/
Wan, M. H. (2009). Heritage places of Singapore (pp. 196-197). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 WAN)
The information in this article is valid as at 2010 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
