Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple

The Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple, located on Ceylon Road, dates back to the 1850s. It is the second oldest temple in Singapore after the Sri Mariamman Temple. Founded by Ceylon Tamils, this temple is recognised as one of Singapore's historic landmarks.   

The temple is said to have been built around an idol of Vinayagar (also known as Ganesha), which was discovered in the 1850s near a redwood tree (Senpaga tree) beside a small pond. Ethirnayagam Pillai, a Ceylon Tamil, is acknowledged as the driving force behind the temple’s establishment. In 1913, the temple was relocated to its present site and built as a wooden-framed thatched structure. A committee was formed by the Singapore Ceylon Tamil Association in 1923 to oversee the transformation of the temple into a concrete building. Construction was completed in the next seven years, and the first consecration took place in 1930. 

As the community grew, the temple expanded its religious and social services. Staff quarters and a library were added in 1939. The Senpaga Vinayagar Temple Tamil School was registered in 1940 and conducted religious programmes and classes. The temple building was damaged during the Second World War and was renovated in stages after the war, culminating in its second consecration in 1955. Subsequently, in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, various development works were carried out, as well as regular consecration ceremonies every 12 years. During that period, the Rajagopuram (main tower), a multi-purpose hall and a wedding hall were constructed as part of the temple expansion. The Rajagopuram was officially opened in 1989 by then-Senior Minister S. Rajaratnam. 

The temple’s current appearance was designed by Chinese architect Prescilla Chow, along with Indian temple architects, and it was dedicated in 2003. It is noteworthy that Buddhists, Christians and Muslims contributed significantly to the temple’s construction costs. That same year, the National Heritage Board recognised the temple as a historic site. 

The temple's facilities now include a preschool and a small orphanage. In a first among Singapore Hindu temples, an automated kitchen capable of preparing food for about 1,500 devotees in half an hour has been installed in the temple, at a cost of $4 million. Around 10,000 people from different ethnic communities attended the temple's recent consecration in 2015. Then Minister of Law and Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam, who graced the event, described the temple as a testament to Singapore's cultural and ethnic harmony.



For more information
National Library Board. “Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple.” Singapore Infopedia. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=951a1915-dbea-403e-9e1a-0e64f014fce7. 
“Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple.” Roots.sg. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/surveyed-sites/sri-senpaga-vinayagar-temple. 
Rekhi, Shefali. “Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple consecration ceremony: 5 things about the historic temple in Ceylon Road.” The Straits Times, 21 January 2015. 
Sim, Walter. “Thousands Attend Consecration Ceremony at Historic Ceylon Road Temple.” The Straits Times, 26 January 2015. 

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.