PM Modi visits Hindu, Buddhist temples, mosque in Singapore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Hindu and Buddhist temples and a mosque in Chinatown here, demonstrating the age-old people-to-people contact between India and Singapore on Saturday.

The prime minister, who is here on a three-day tour, visited Sri Mariamman Temple and participated in prayers. Sri Mariamman is the oldest Hindu temple in the country.

The priest of the temple gifted a golden stole to Modi.

"Reinforcing our strong cultural connect, PM @narendramodi visited the Mariamman Temple," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Built in 1827, the temple was constructed for worship by immigrants from Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts of South India. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, known for her power in curing epidemic illnesses and diseases.

He also visited Chulia mosque which was built by Chulia Muslim merchants from India's Coromandel Coast under the leadership of Anser Sahib. This is one of the earliest mosques in Singapore. The mosque was established in 1826.

Modi was gifted a green shawl at the mosque.

"Demonstrating the age-old people-to-people contact between our two countries," Kumar said.

After the mosque, Modi visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.

"Shared Buddhist heritage! PM @narendramodi visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum in Singapore accompanied by the Culture Minister Grace Fu Hai Yien," Kumar said.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple was built in 2007, but the temple's richly designed interiors and comprehensive exhibits on Buddhist art and history tell stories of culture over hundreds of years old.

The temple gets its name from what the Buddhists regard as the left canine tooth of Buddha, which has been recovered from his funeral pyre in Kushinagar Uttar Pradesh and displayed in its grounds.