Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple

Category: Singapore

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

• Chinese :  释迦牟尼菩提迦耶寺

The Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple is often referred to as the Temple of 1,000 Lights. It features a 15m high statue of a seated Buddha, which weighs nearly 300 tons, as well as many smaller Buddha images and murals depicting the life of Shakyamuni Buddha. The large central statue is surrounded by a stylized aura made of numerous light bulbs - lit during evening hours - from which the temple derives its nickname.

On Vesak Day, the annual holiday celebrating the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, devotees donate money to the temple and in exchange are allowed to place gold leaf onto a small statue of the Buddha. As the day wears on, the Buddha is almost entirely covered in a fresh layer of gold leaf.

See also

• Buddhism in Singapore