NEWS

Singapore Celebrates Centennial of its Oldest Theravada Temple

By BD Dipananda | | Buddhistdoor Global

Wat Ananda Metyarama in Singapore celebrated its 100th anniversary, on Sunday. The wat is the oldest Theravada Buddhist temple in Singapore and the first Thai temple established outside the Southeast Asian kingdom and formally recognized by Thailand’s royal family. “The temple is older than [the Republic] of Singapore,” said the temple’s honorary secretary. “So it is a big milestone for us to celebrate this occasion. I’m very proud.” (The Straits Times) The anniversary celebrations began with a one-minute silent prayer led by representatives from 10 religions from the Inter-Religious Organization of Singapore. The ceremony was attended by some 1,500 participants, including Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Indranee Rajah, minister to the prime minister’s office and second minister for finance, education, and law, and 634 Buddhist monks from Asia, Europe, and North America who had gathered in Singapore for the anniversary celebration and a Buddhist conference. In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Lee commented: “We may come from different faiths, but the desire to help others and live in harmony with all Singaporeans is the common belief that binds us together.” (The Straits Times)