Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple

SINGAPORE

This temple was founded by Thai monk Vutthisasara in 1927. At first it was just a simple structure but was later constructed in its present form. The main hall houses a Buddha statue, whose mandorla is decorated with hundreds of lights, so that it is also called the Temple of a Thousand Lights.
The temple occupies approximately 2,300 sq m. The main hall is divided into two sections: the rear section is square with a domed roof surmounted by a colorful spire; the two-story high front section is square with a flush gable roof. On the pediment there is a relief of Sakyamuni Buddha seated in full lotus position on a lotus throne, which rests on three elephants. The leopard and tiger on either side represent the temple’s donors. Above the entrance there is a statue of a standing Buddha flanked by a pair of guardians. In the rear section of the hall there is a 15 m high statue of Sakyamuni Buddha that weighs 300 t. A statue of the Reclining Buddha is also enshrined within the hall. The base of the statue has paintings depicting the Life of the Buddha. The temple also houses numerous artifacts left by Vutthisasara: bark from the Bodhi tree, under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, statues of Ganesa, and the Buddha’s footprint in wood excavated from Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka.