Hindu activity in Singapore is dominated by
the majority Tamil-speaking community. Local
temples tend to be home to devotees of both
SHAIVISM and VAISHNAVISM and the major deities
each reveres. It is also not uncommon to see Bud-
dhist and even Christian images in the temples.
This syncretism is promoted in line with official
government policies focused on building religious
harmony in the very diverse religious community
of Singapore. In 1978, the community established
the Hindu Center to facilitate the transmission of
Hinduism to the younger generation.
The annual life of the community in Singapore
is punctuated by several festivals, all of which
have become public events attended by many
non-Hindus. Especially notable is the annual
Thaipusam festival, a Shaivite festival celebrating
the birthday of Lord Subramaniam, the younger
son of Lord SHIVA, which occurs toward the end
of January each year. Interestingly, this festival
was outlawed in India for many years because of
bloody hook swinging and body piercing and Sin-
gapore is one of the few places where it survives.
The week-long festival culminates in an all-day
procession in which young men carry a heavy
structure honoring the deity from one temple to
another through Singapore.
Since the 1930s, the Hindu community in
Singapore has witnessed impulses for reform,
including resistance to BRAHMIN domination of the
temples, elevation of the status of women, and the
social equity of different castes.
Further reading: Jean Pierre Mialaret, Hinduism in
Singapore: A Guide to the Hindu Temples of Singapore
(Singapore: Asia Pacific Press, 1969); Jagat K. Motwani
et al., eds., Global Indian Diaspora: Yesterday, Today and
Tomorrow (New York: Global Organisation of People
of Indian Origin, 1993); K. S. Sandhu and A. Mani,
eds., Indian Communities in South East Asia (Singapore:
Times Academic Press, 1993); Vineeta Sinha, A New
God in the Diaspora? Muneeswaran Worship in Con-
temporary Singapore (Honolulu: University of Hawaii
Press, 2005).
Singh See SIKHISM.
Singh, Charan See SANT MAT MOVEMENT.
Singh, Guru Gobind (1666–1708) 10th Sikh
guru
Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th and final Sikh
GURU in the lineage of Guru NANAK, the founder
of SIKHISM. He established the beliefs and prac-
tices that the community follows to this day,
including the devotion to scripture as the only
GURU.
Gobind Rai was born on December 22, 1666,
to Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, and
Mata Gujari in Patna in Bihar state. The young
boy was taught the language of Bihari and Guru-
mukhi script as a child and was schooled in the
life and deeds of the previous gurus. He was
given a comprehensive education of India: the
historical, social, religious, and political context.
In keeping with the Sikh tradition he was also
trained in music, prayers, and the use of weapons.
He was raised in a family who held close relations
with both Hindus and Muslims. He spent much of
his childhood playing on the banks of the GANGES
River and was said to be bold, with all the mak-
ings of a leader.
Guru Gobind’s father met a violent death
when the boy was less than 10 years old; Sikhs
claim he was executed by Emperor Aurangzeb,
Mughal ruler of India, as part of a campaign to
convert India to Islam. Controversy surrounds the
details, but the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur
remains part of the Sikh belief system.
In 1675, the family made a long journey to
Punjab, and in November of that year Gobind
Rai was initiated as the 10th Sikh guru. Although
still a child, he was said to be very self-aware. He
continued to train in philosophy, politics, and
weaponry. The popularity of the Sikh tradition
continued to spread across India, drawing both
Muslim and Hindu disciples.K 416 Singh