Built in the style of a Tang Dynasty temple, incorporating principles of the Buddhist Mandala, the multi-storeyed Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is a magnificent landmark in Chinatown Singapore. It was completed in 2007 and was open to the public on Vesak day that year. The temple houses a tooth relic of the Buddha brought from Myanmar. It has quickly become one of the most visited destinations in Chinatown.
The building with its upturned eaves, elaborate styling and crimson painted wooden pillars stands out from the mundane buildings around it. The impressive entrance has three large lacquered doors with bronze studs, engraved plates and lion door knockers typical of Tang Dynasty temple entrances. Only important guests are permitted entry through the centre gate. In keeping with ancient design principles there is a bell tower to the right of the main gate and a drum tower to the left of the gate which house the temple bell and drum respectively. All the spaces in the building’s 4 storeys are beautifully decorated in the traditional style of Chinese temples, painted in warm tones highlighted with gold.
While the ground floor has the main prayer hall, the mezzanine, the second and third floors are dedicated to bodhisatva Avalokitesvara, Manjushri and Samanthabadra. They are pictured in various poses under canopies and on lotus flowers. Some halls have their walls covered with small Buddha statues while statues of various deities are found everywhere. The tooth relic chamber on the fourth floor is an elaborately decorated golden room. The tooth relic itself is enshrined in a gold stupa made with 320 kg of gold donated by devotees. The other facilities found in the building are the Eminent Sangha Museum, the Ancestral Memorial Hall, the Buddha relic chamber and the museum with Buddhist scriptures, documents and Asian Buddhist artifacts. On the roof is the pagoda with the Vairocana Buddha prayer wheel. The area around it is beautifully landscaped, providing an ideal space for relaxation. The modern theater in the basement is used for seminars, talks, film shows and conferences. The vegetarian café is also here. The temple is open to the public on a daily basis.
With a reputation and an ambience that cannot be replicated anywhere else, Raffles Hotel Singapore stands as one of the few connections to the city-state’s colourful history. Updated and modernized to meet today’s traveller’s requirements this luxury hotel Singapore, while offering guests a step back in time is also the ideal location to experience the city and have easy access to its business and leisure destinations. Stay at this renowned Singapore hotel to experience the Raffles brand of hospitality honed over more than 125 years of service.