Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
Buddhist temple · Chinatown ·
Ornate Tang Dynasty-inspired temple with relic chamber & rooftop garden
Ornate Tang Dynasty-inspired temple with relic chamber & rooftop garden
"Completed in 2007, this $62 million complex is a popular tourist attraction in Singapore’s vibrant Chinatown. That may seem like quite an investment to honor a fragment of bone, but the tooth purportedly belongs to one of the most famous religious figures in history—the Buddha. The temple claims that the tooth is a relic recovered in 1980 from a collapsed stupa in Myanmar, but little additional information has been provided. Experts have called into question the authenticity of the tooth, saying that it is most likely “the tooth of a cow or water buffalo, but definitely not a human.” The tooth is located on the fourth story of the temple in the Sacred Light Chamber. It is only available for viewing during certain hours, so be sure to check the website before you go. Photography is strictly forbidden inside the relic chamber. Even if you miss the tooth, the temple itself is very impressive, featuring multiple floors of buddha statues, nagas (the popular Southeast Asian dragon-snakes that guard sacred relics), and impressive ceremonial venues in which to pray and meditate. There are a handful of other temples that claim to have tooth relics, including the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka." - ATLAS_OBSCURA
"Completed in 2007, this $62 million complex is a popular tourist attraction in Singapore’s vibrant Chinatown. That may seem like quite an investment to honor a fragment of bone, but the tooth purportedly belongs to one of the most famous religious figures in history—the Buddha. The temple claims that the tooth is a relic recovered in 1980 from a collapsed stupa in Myanmar, but little additional information has been provided. Experts have called into question the authenticity of the tooth, saying that it is most likely “the tooth of a cow or water buffalo, but definitely not a human.” The tooth is located on the fourth story of the temple in the Sacred Light Chamber. It is only available for viewing during certain hours, so be sure to check the website before you go. Photography is strictly forbidden inside the relic chamber. Even if you miss the tooth, the temple itself is very impressive, featuring multiple floors of buddha statues, nagas (the popular Southeast Asian dragon-snakes that guard sacred relics), and impressive ceremonial venues in which to pray and meditate. There are a handful of other temples that claim to have tooth relics, including the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka." - ATLAS_OBSCURA
"A temple complex named for a revered relic housed within its grounds, known for its rich religious symbolism, ornate architecture and status as a major spiritual and cultural draw." - Ink Creative Studios
"A richly appointed religious and cultural complex whose chief attraction is a relic purported to be the Buddha’s left canine tooth, combining ornate temple architecture with museum displays." - Charlene Fang