Date : 23 July 2009
The Straits Times - Hindu procession visits Taoist temple
23 July 2009
IN A display of religious harmony, a Hindu procession made a stop at a Chinese temple yesterday evening to pay its respects to Taoist deities.
The procession, part of a 10-day celebration for a Hindu festival that marks the creation of the universe, featured a silver chariot crafted by skilled artisans from India followed by busloads of devotees.
It made a half-hour detour from its original route to visit the Yishun Town Combined Chinese Temple.
There, the Hindu devotees made offerings to Taoist deities at a small altar. In return, Taoist prayers were said for Hindu goddess Sree Maha Mariamman who was said to have created the universe.
'It is a good way to let people from different faiths interact,' said Mr Charlie Guan, the general secretary for Yishun Temple Association. 'They are offering us blessings, it's a great thing.'
This is the first time the annual procession, first organised by the Sree Maha Mariamman Temple 12 years ago, has visited a Chinese temple.
The Hindu temple's chief executive, Mrs Parvathi Annanth, said that it was an opportune time for the visit, as Singapore has just celebrated Racial Harmony Day on Monday.
The procession set off from the Sree Maha Mariamman Temple in Yishun Avenue 3, and made nine stops within Yishun and Sembawang to bless residents and receive their offerings.
About 2,000 devotees turned up for the ritual.
JESSICA LIM
(With thanks to SPH - StraitsTimes.com)
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