Accidental Tourist - Vesak Day 2012

To mark my 3rd year holding onto my DSLR, I continue with my yearly tradition of covering the Vesak Day festivities at various temples in Singapore - my blog entries of visits made in 2010 and 2011. 

For this year, I decided to head down to 3 temples i.e. 
(1) Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Temple (aka Bright Hill Temple to me) is the largest Buddhist temple in Singapore and also holds has the largest '3 steps 1 bow' ceremony in the evening before Vesak Day. 

I continue to express my utmost respect for all participants of this ceremony - to me, undertaking a ceremony that requires one to walk 3 steps before fully prostrating yourself on the hard tarmac floor for 2 whole hours is worthy of respect. How grueling? Well, I only took the photos and my thighs and body was aching all over for 2 whole days after the evening shoot. My collection of 3 photos marking the ceremony. 

Head Abbott together with his Monks at the start of the Ceremony

(2) Thekchen Choling Tibetan Temple which has a special ceremony that involved the unveiling of a 14foot/ 3 meter long Thangka only on Vesak Day. The purpose of a Thangka is intended to serve as a record of, and guide for contemplative experience. They are intended to convey iconographic information in a pictorial manner. One can donate prayer flags and wishing ribbons - my "to-do" list for next year is to attend the fire puja ceremony that will be conducted in the evening. 

Butter Lamps

Bathing the Buddha Ceremony

(2) Lian Shan Shuang Lin Temple was also on my "to visit" list this year as it's Singapore's oldest Buddhist temple and second largest in Asia. Built between the years 1902 to 1908, the temple literally translates to the Twin Grove of the Lotus Mountain Buddhist Temple. The grounds are HUGE - a mental note was to venture into the grounds of this magnificent place  early next year. 

Till the next time, onto the world & beyond!!!

Accidental Tourist – Vesak Day 2011 (May) Shoot

This is a back post of the visits that I took over Vesak Day holidays.

I decided to trod by the Bright Hill Temple and the Tooth Relic Temple in year 2011. This is a continuation of last year’s Vesak Day photoshoot. I am in fact hoping that this will be a staple in my photography shoots & I will be able to take different types of shots at the same locations.

Here are 3 pictures taken at the Bright Hill Temple –  I was early enough to witness the arduous “3 steps 1 bow” ceremony that is only held at this temple on the eve of Vesak Day:

 full prostration is carried out by all devotees in this ceremony

 Monks saying their prayers before the ceremony

closeup of the Head monk having a moment 

My sentiments after witnessing this momentous grueling ceremony where the devotees essentially had to prostrate over the floor or bow once every 3 steps? I have nothing but respect for these devotees who do it as a mark of their faith.

On Vesak Day, I went to the Tooth Relic Temple bright & early. I had hoped to catch the early morning prayers but only to realize that it will only be open to the public at 9a.m. Nevertheless, I had a nice walk around as it was quite peaceful even on this very important day for the Buddhists:

 Tooth Relic Temple in all its glory

 not a Chinese devotee but just as welcome into this temple

 closeup of the guardians placed outside the temple

Compared to last year’s visit, I took in the temple at a much slower pace as the temple is definitely less crowded (likely due to the timing). But nevertheless, the feeling of peace and tranquility the minute I step into this place never fails to amaze me. 


Till the next time, off to the world and beyond!

Accidental tourist - Vesak Day celebrations in Singapore

For Vesak Day, I took a leap of faith and went to places I never ventured before….together with my friends, we stepped into Chinese temples and I saw a world that's totally alien to me even though it's in my backyard (literally at times). To a certain extent,I was a "fish out of water" as I didn’t know whether the temple devotees will object to my presence holding a camera and taking photos of the religious activities during this special day for them...

In the night before the Vesak holidays, I hopped down to Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (better known to me as “Bright Hill Temple”), one of the largest temples in Singapore and best known for it’s “3 steps 1 bow” ceremony held only during Vesak Day. I am challenged in using my DSLR for the 1^st time at night but I do need to “practice, practice, practice”.

The temple’s website showed many many places I didn’t manage to go in my short 2-hours there but here are some photos.

Photo of one of the temple towers in bright lights

Photo of 3-steps-1-bow ceremony

(out of focus) Photo of a man praying before Buddha

On Vesak Day itself, I went down to the other side of Little India at a temple called “Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple” or “Temple of 1000 lights”. This is an earmarked historic site by Singapore National Heritage Board. It’s a Thai-Buddhist temple with a 15m Buddha. Again, I have never been anywhere near here all my life (this is becoming a “story of my life” statement) so we decided to drop by there….3 photos showing what we saw:

Photo of 15m Buddha surrounded by hundreds of lights

Photo of worshippers putting down incense sticks outside temple

Photo of devotees placing gold-leaf on statute of Buddha

Of course, I did the thing that most people will do in such places, I did my gold leaf placement and wish for good luck and health as well!!

Opposite this Temple of 1000 lights was another temple called “Leong San Buddhist Temple” or “Dragon Mountain Temple”. Unfortunately, I couldn’t capture any nice photos of this place. I totally blame this on my limits as a photographer as it was definitely a shame since as the temple has some lovely sculptures on its roof….

But there was a dragon dance troupe that came by while I was at the location so I will be showing some shots of the dragon & lion dances instead:

Photo of dragon head coming out of temple – it is a bit orange

Photos of the dragon dance troupe hard at work

Photo of the pink lion that followed after the dragon dance

Next was a MRT train ride down to Chinatown for a trip to the “Buddha Tooth Relic Temple”. Its website is quite impressive so do hop over if you have some time: http://www.btrts.org.sg/. Again 1^st time venture in there even though I heard much about the huge complex of some 4-5 floors with a roof top garden coupled with the largest cloisonné Buddha Prayer Wheel in the world. It houses a museum together with a shopping gallery cum library within its premises. During Vesak Day, the priceless tooth relic is displayed for veneration. Here goes the photos:

Photo of the front entrance

Photo of the countless candle tea-lights (again only during Vesak Day)

Photo of girl tying on prayer knot by monk

Personally, I feel that I do not do much justice to this gorgeous place with my 3 photos cos it’s quite beautiful in that place and pretty impressive.

Anyway, till the next time...Onto the unknown and beyond.....