Buddha Tooth Relic Temple And Museum, Singapore

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (BTRTM) is one of the most prominent religious and cultural sites in Singapore and a major tourist attraction in Singapore. The strikingly marvelous structure of the temple opened its gate for public visit in 2007 and since then its number of visitors every year is on the rise.

The Tang style architecture of the temple with shades of brilliant red, green, and gold on the exterior never fails to amaze the first time or even regular visitors. Whether you're exploring on your own or with a guided Singapore tour package, the mild aroma of incense candles and the tinkles of the chimes will soothe your senses and drift you to a different world as you pass the main entrance of the temple.

The four-storied temple is divided into different levels each level dedicated to a different aspect of Lord Buddha. The walls of the Universal Wisdom Hall are adorned with Buddha figurines each with a particular name and showing specific mudra (hand symbol).

The cynosure of attraction in the BTRTM is the tooth relic of Gautama Buddha enshrined on a giant stupa made of 402 Kg of gold where Buddhist monks perform daily rituals. It is open for public viewing only twice a day from a certain distance.

The rooftop garden atop the fourth floor abounds rare kind of trees and shrubs making it a tranquil haven for visitors to rest and meditate in tranquility. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple also boasts of housing the Vairocana Buddha Prayer Wheel, which is the largest prayer wheel of the world.

Though, primarily an institution for promoting Buddhist philosophy, BTRTM is also known for its dedicated welfare service to the underprivileged section of the society through various activities.

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• Situated in Chinatown, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum tells stories of Buddhist culture and tradition over thousands of years old.
• The temple was built in 2007, and it gets its name from Buddha's left canine tooth, recovered from his funeral pyre in Kushinagar
• This four-storey-high temple is a beautiful complex comprising opulent temples, ornate pagodas, and an infinite amount of religious icons.
• There is a Chinese theater in the temple's basement, where concerts, workshops, and shows are held regularly. You'll find a meditation space and an orchid-filled garden in the rooftop area with an ornately designed prayer wheel and pagodas at each cardinal point.
• This relic is located in a massive three hundred and twenty kilograms, solid gold stupa, sitting in a fourth-floor room. The highlight of the temple lies in its architecture and design, which replicates the architecture of the Tang Dynasty and the Buddhist Mandala.

The best way of covering the distance between your destination and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is by taking an MRT from a nearby station. Once you aight an MRT, you can take a ticket to Chinatown Station. Once you reach the station, you will be required to walk for another 5 minutes to finally reach the temple.

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The best time to plan a visit to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is during the morning hours when the crowd is less. This is the time when the sunlight is least as well, hence you can explore the whole temple without much crowd.

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Here is the list of activities in Temple

A number of services are provided by the monks of the Tooth Relic Temple that uphold the Buddhist philosophy of compassion, fraternity and service to mankind. If you are visiting during the service timings at the temple you can witness the various community services provided by the Buddhist monks of the temple:

a. Kreta Ayer Activities: The temple conducts community activities for underprivileged residents in the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Constituency. The temple authorities in collaboration with the Kreta Ayer Seniors Activity Centre and Citizens Consultative Committee provide medical assistance and celebrate Chinese New Year for the residents of the constituency.

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b. Ceremonial activities: The daily service of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum starts at 7 AM with the opening of the Mountain Gate. From 9AM-4: 30 PM there is the Great Sutra of Perfection of Wisdom Group Practice, at 6:15 PM the closing ceremony begins with drum, bell, and board ritual and at 7 PM the Mountain Gate closes for the day.

c. Other services: During the months between April-August, there is group practice for Great Sutra of Perfection of Wisdom and during the month of July Emperor Liang Group Practice and Offering to Pretas are performed.

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Places to visit near Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

Singapore is a city which never disappoints its visitors by the number of exciting places to ramble through and explore its rich heritage and culture. Apart from the fabled Tooth Relic Temple, there are many other sites in its neighbourhood that are worth your visit. A rundown of the highly recommended places near the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is given below:

a. Singapore City Gallery- Located beside the Maxwell Food Centre about 0.2 Km from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, the 3 storied Singapore City Gallery is the essence of the bustling city of Singapore. The chief attraction is a massive replica of the city with its walkways, skyscrapers, historical buildings, etc. which gives you a bird’s eye view of the streetscapes of Singapore.

b. Sri Mariamman Temple- This is also the oldest Hindu temple of Singapore which is located about 0.2 Km from the Tooth Relic Temple. The annual fire walking ceremony is the most crowd-pulling event of the temple which is held during October-November. There is no entry fee but taking photographs may be chargeable.

c. Chinatown Heritage Centre- The three thoughtfully restored shopping outlets at Pagoda Street located 0.2 Km away from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum brings back vivacious memories of the developing years of Singapore as a global financial centre through an onerous journey. It is the only place in Singapore which has restored the original interiors of the shophouse tenants of the 50s to render a real glimpse of Chinatown’s early settlement to the visitors.

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d. Drama Box- It is a great amusement hangout for theatre lovers who are interested to know about the culture and social history of Chinatown through documentaries. Drama Box was founded in 1990 and is now a member of the Singapore Chinese Language Theatre Alliance. The non-profit company is located 0.2 Km from the Buddha Tooth Relic Museum.

e. Chan Ngee- The three-generation old curio shop located about 0.2 Km from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a sought-after shopping halt for Oriental antique lovers. Across the 5000 sq. ft. area of the Singapore City Gallery you can find collectables made from cane, wood and porcelain, tea set made from China Clay, paintings, etc. The Gallery also hosts cultural events at Singapore ChinaTown.

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Tips for Visiting Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

A few things to remember before you visit one of the most highlighted attractions of Singapore

- As you are entering a temple make sure you are in proper attire which reflects your respect to the local culture of the place. Your legs and shoulders should be covered. In case you are not dressed accordingly, you can borrow wraps at the entrance of the temple.

- Pets are not allowed inside the temple premises.

- Vegetarian food is served at the dining hall of the temple. No outside food is allowed.

- On New Year's Day, a special event is held in the Buddha Relic Tooth Temple. Don't forget to watch the event if you are travelling to Singapore at that time.

- Maintain discipline and silence during your visit to the temple.

- Do not touch any of the things on display.

Must Check: Singapore Travel Guide for a hassle free experience.