The temple, located 1 block past Perumal Road, is also known as the Temple of 1,000 Lights. The reason for this being the number of bulbs that light up around the large central statue of Buddha thereby creating a great aura around it. The statue itself is in seated posture, rises to a height of around 15 m and weighs approximately 300 tonnes.

Other attractions within the temple include a smaller Buddha in a reclining position, murals depicting scenes from the life of Prince Siddhartha (the Buddha) as he searches for enlightenment and a huge Buddha footprint inlaid with mother-of-pearl. It is not allowed to click a photograph of the reclining Buddha. Also to be seen within the temple are a wax model of Gandhi and a figure of the Hindu elephant god, Ganesh. Vesak is one special day when the temple receives the maximum number of devotees. With faith in their heart, these devotees donate money, and in return, are permitted to place gold leaf onto a small statue of the Buddha. As the day concludes, the image gets covered with a layer of gold leaf.

The temple is open from 8 am to 4.45 pm everyday.


Little India & Arab Street
Unlike Kampong Gelam or Chinatown, Little India is not the result of the planning done by the colonial authorities. Rather, this lively, warm, crowded and noisy neighbourhood came into being because of the immigration of the Indians. These people came here to take the advantage of the business development taking place. Today, the Little India is definitely Indian, nonetheless, there is a clear Singaporean touch to this Indianness.

The Arab Street was once the heart of textile trade in Singapore. The Street has lost its erstwhile charm, yet it is still a good place to roam around, have a look at the shops seeling cotton and silk fabric, stone jewellery, rattan basketry, clocks, furnitures and attar. Quiet close to the Street is the Sultan's Palace which is worth paying a visit.

Both Mid range and budget hotels accommodation are available for the convenience of the incoming visitors.


Other Attractions

• Leong San Buddhist Temple : Located on the Race Course Road and open between 6 am to 6 pm, the Leong San Buddhist Temple is one of the most beautiful Buddhist temple in Singapore. It was constructed in the late 1800s and is also known as the Dragon Mountain Temple. Within are seen images of Kuan Yin, Goddess of Mercy and Confucius. Children are often brought to the latter's image with a belief that they will be blessed with intelligence and filial piety. Another highlight of the temple are its Chinese arches that are decorated with dragons and traditional images, and connect to black, red and gold beams. These beams, themselves are full of beautiful calligraphy.