Sri Thendayuthapani Temple Hinduism

Everything To Know About Sri Thendayuthapani Temple Hinduism

One of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples, Sri Thendayuthapani Temple – is devoted to Murugan, the Hindu god also known as Sri Thendayuthapani Temple Hinduism. It is also known as the Chettiars’ Temple. It serves as a tangible reminder of the Chettiars’ economic contributions to Singapore during their colonial era.

Nattukottai Chettiars

The Nattukottai Chettiars (or Nagarathars), who hailed from the Chettinad district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, were some of the first immigrants to reach Singapore. They were moneylenders, dealers, and members of Singapore’s largest Indian commercial banking community. 

Even though they were few, the Chettiars in Singapore in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century had more power than the European banks. Giving entrepreneurs access to financing at cheaper interest rates were instrumental in converting Southeast Asia’s traditional subsistence-based economy into an export-oriented one.

The Shaivites, a Hindu group that regards Murugan’s father, Shiva, as the greatest god, are the Chettiars. Despite leaving Chettinad in the nineteenth century for various locations in Asia, they kept up – the tradition of erecting shrines to Murugan wherever they lived.

Chettiar Temples in Singapore

The Chettiar neighbourhood built the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple Hinduism on Tank Road in 1859. Ganesha, Murugan’s brother, is the main deity of the Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple, which was constructed on Keong Saik Road in Chinatown more than 60 years later, in 1925. Today, the Chettiars’ Temple Society is in charge of overseeing both temples.

Although Sri Thendayuthapani Temple served as primarily a place of worship, the Chettiars also used it as a social and economic hub. Each Chettiar company made a voluntary donation to the temple.

Thaipusam

Thaipusam, a significant holiday observed by Tamil Hindus, especially the Chettiars, in honour of Murugan overcoming evil, has long been linked to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple. Murugan is revered as the deity of the Chettiar clan and stands for youth, strength, and morality. He is the Hindu god of justice and the patron saint of the Tamil people.

The annual Thaipusam festival is a lavish event with magnificent processions. The Murugan statue is carried in a silver chariot on the eve of Thaipusam across the city to the Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple – in the evening – it gets brought back to the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple. The participants in this procession, also known as Punar Pusam or Chetty Pusam, is often mostly Chettiar.

On the festival day, a massive and more impressive procession takes place. To participate in a three-kilometre parade that culminates at Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, large crowds of Hindu and non-Hindu worshippers assemble at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road. Strong men carry kavadis, elaborately adorned steel objects, either as a physical penance to ask Murugan for assistance or as a token of gratitude for answered prayers. The peacock is frequently used to embellish kavadis since it is said to represent Murugan’s vahana (divine chariot). On the heads of other devotees are paal kudams, or milk containers. Before the Second World War, the parade would end with a spectacular fireworks show.