subject: Temple Of Thousand Lights - An Awe-inspiring Monument [print this page] Singapore is a country having one of the largest concentrations of foreigners in the world. It also is home to a variety of ethnicities, cultures and religions. Thus, there are many different religious monuments such as Hindu and Buddhist temples, Christian Churches and Mosques strewn across the island. Mahayana, Theravada and Tibetan Buddhism are all practiced in Singapore as is witnessed by the different styles of architecture of Buddhist temples.
Down Race Course road in Singapore at number 336, the splendid monument of The Temple of Thousand Lights can be found. Also referred to as the Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple, it is a popular Buddhist temple in Singapore. Its popularity is attributed to the towering 15 meter statue of the seated Buddha. The statue is draped in red, green and gold cloth. Around the Buddha is a stylized aura which is made from hundreds of incandescent bulbs. This has given the temple its popular name - The Temple of Thousand Lights.
Beneath the statuette of the seated Buddha you will discover a fresco illustrating the various stages in the Buddhas life. There you will also find a room where there is a smaller statue of a reclining Buddha, depicting the end of his life. The temple comes alive in bright colours; even the 15 meter seated Buddha bears a glossy texture and has been done up in bright orange and yellow hues. Apart from these Buddha statues, the temple houses a statue of god Ganesh: a Hindu deity with the face of an elephant, a large footprint of Buddha encrusted in pearls and even a wax figure of the famous philosopher Gandhi.
The temples history lies with a Thai monk by the name of Vutthisara who was also its patron and goes as far back as 1972. The architecture and dcor of the temple do bear certain Thai influences.
On Vesak, visitors to the Temple of a Thousand Lights can observe devotees donating money to the temple; in exchange, the temple places a gold leaf onto a small statue of the Buddha. At the close of the day, the Buddha is fully covered in a new layer of gold leaf.
visitors looking for a Singapore hotel near city centre can opt to stay at Copthorne Orchid Hotel Singapore. Located centrally to popular shopping and entertainment districts as well as other places of attraction, this hotel in Singapore is a great place to stay in comfort and convenience while you prepare for another days worth of sightseeing in Lion City.
