My next stop on the Chinatown odyssey was the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum. Centrally located, at the junction of Sago Lane and the South Bridge Road, the Temple is hard to miss with its striking maroon exterior. Compared to the other buildings around here and the Chinese temples that I had seen previously, this temple is simply huge...
A warrior guards the temple....
I bowed my head in a silent prayer here and offered a few incense sticks.... You don't need to buy incense sticks, they are offered free of cost to the devotees...
The main hall...
Unlike other Chinese temples, this temple had space and seating for a congregation...
The silence inside was so very peaceful....
Above the main hall, there are 3 levels, each housing Buddhist artefacts from all over Asia....
If there is any deity that signfies peace and contentment, it has to be the Buddha...
It turned out that the Temple was a recent addition to Chinatown.
Apparently, a relic containing what is supposed to be a tooth of the Lord found its way from Burma (Myanmar) into Singapore and generated a lot of public interest...
It was then that the government decided to permanently house the relic. A solution was soon found. A temple was built on an empty plot in Chinatown. Construction began in 2005 and the temple was opened to the public on Vesak Day in 2007...
The temple is made in a hybrid architectural style based on the Buddhist mandala and Tang dynasty.
Parts of the temple and museum were playing a very soothing Buddhist chant that captivated me.... I hope the readers of Rajeev's World alo enjoy this chant....
Offerings of sugar syrup for the deity....
Artefacts from various parts of Asia....
Serenity and peace....
The terrace of the temple was quite like an oasis - an island of green with lovely orchids all over. In the centre a small hall housed a prayer wheel....
I did find my few moments of peace here.... I hope that lasts......
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