Temple of 1,000 Lights

释迦牟尼菩提迦耶寺
Sakaya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple
Location within Singapore
Monastery information
Full name	Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple[1]
Order	Theravada
Established	1927
People
Founder(s)	Venerable Vutthisara
Site
Location	Race Course Road, Singapore[2]
Coordinates	1°18′53″N 103°51′24.7″E / 1.31472°N 103.856861°E / 1.31472; 103.856861

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Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple (Chinese: 释迦牟尼菩提迦耶寺) is a Buddhist monastery in Singapore. The temple was originally set up by Venerable Vutthisara of Thailand. The present premises are located at Race Course Road in Singapore.

History

The 15-meter high statue of the seated Buddha

The Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple was founded in 1927 by a Thai monk known as Ven Vutthisara. The temple grew in popularity and, in 1930, Ven Vutthisasara built the present temple building with a donation from Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par. ^[3]

Influences

Sakya Muni Buddha Statue in the Mendut temple, Indonesia

There are strong Thai influences in the architecture and decor.^[4]

Buddha Statue

The Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple is one of the most prominent and widely visited Buddhist temples in Singapore,^[5] often referred to as the Temple of 1,000 Lights. It features a 15-meter high statue of a seated Buddha, which weighs nearly 300 tons, as well as many smaller Buddha images and murals depicting the life of Gautama Buddha. The large central statue is surrounded by a stylized aura made of numerous light bulbs— often lit with a donation towards the temple(approach the friendly staff to request)—from which the temple derives its nickname. In a small room beneath the altar is an image of a reclining Buddha, Buddha towards the end of his life, under a Yellow Saraka Tree.

On Vesak Day, the annual holiday celebrating the birth and enlightenment of Lord Buddha, devotees donate money to the temple and in exchange are allowed to place gold leaf onto a small statue of the Buddha. As the day wears on, the Buddha statue is almost entirely covered in a fresh layer of gold leaves.^[6]

The temple is open between 8.00 am and 4.30 pm daily.^[7] Admission is free.

References

See also

• Buddhism in Singapore