SINGAPORE – A new Hindu temple will be built in a land parcel along Yishun Avenue 3, in a move aimed at meeting the growing needs of the Hindu community in Singapore.
Already allocated by the Government, the site is near Yishun Innova Junior College and among residential blocks.
Following consultations with the Hindu Advisory Board and other community stakeholders, the new temple, named Sree Guruvayoorappan Ayyappan Temple (SGAT), is expected to begin construction in August or September 2026.
It will be near an existing Hindu temple in Yishun, Sree Maha Mariamman Temple, which is preparing for its consecration ceremony this year. Holy Tree Balasubramaniar Temple (HTSB) is the other Hindu temple in Yishun.
The last Hindu temple to be built in Singapore was the Arulmigu Velmurugan Gnanamuneeswarar Temple in Sengkang in 2006.
Announcing the plans to the media at HTSB on March 28, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Dinesh Vasu Dash noted that there is currently no temple in Singapore dedicated to the two deities, Guruvayoorappan and Ayyappan. The new SGAT will allow devotees to worship several deities alongside these two main deities.
Noting that the northern part of Singapore has a higher concentration of Indian residents, Mr Dinesh said the new temple is well-positioned to serve the community.
In particular, the temple would serve as a starting point for Singaporean pilgrims, many of whom travel to the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple (Sabarimala) in Kerala, India. The new temple would possibly make it easier for devotees, particularly elderly worshippers, to begin their spiritual journey, he added.
The Sabarimala, dedicated to Lord Ayyappan, attracts 40 to 50 million devotees annually, and involves a challenging 41-day preparatory trek to the hilltop shrine. The physically demanding journey can be particularly challenging for elderly pilgrims.
Guruvayoor Temple, also in Kerala, is dedicated to Lord Guruvayoorappan (Lord Krishna) and similarly draws millions each year.
