Sri Krishnan Temple

The Sri Krishnan Temple, located at 152 Waterloo Street, has a 150-year-old history and is a gazetted national monument. In 1870, Hanuman Beem Singh, a wealthy merchant, established a shrine for Lord Krishna under a banyan tree on Waterloo Street, then known as Church Street. Over time, the Tamil Hindu community began referring to this street as ‘Krishnan Kovil Sadakku,’ meaning Street of the Krishnan Temple. As the Hindu congregation grew, the temple underwent successive renovations. Initially, the temple was managed by the Beem Singh family, which made significant improvements, such as the erection of a proper fence around the temple and the construction of the main shrine and the dome. With constructions completed, a consecration ceremony was held in 1933. 

In 1935, V Pakirisamy Pillai, a community leader and philanthropist, assumed the temple’s management, and under his stewardship, another consecration ceremony was conducted in 1959. Following Pillai's passing in 1984, his family members took over the temple's administration and initiated major renovations in 1989. These included the construction of the main entrance tower and additional sanctums for deities such as Sri Anjaneyar, Sri Vishnu Durgai, and Sri Guruvaayurappan. In 2001, a five-story ancillary block with a multi-purpose hall was added to the temple complex. In 2014, the temple was gazetted as a national monument because of its cultural and historical significance. The latest consecration ceremony was held in 2018, following a four-year restoration, costing nearly $4 million. The ceremony was graced by then Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran as the guest of honour, with Denise Phua and Edwin Tong, both Members of Parliament, in attendance. Approximately 10,000 devotees participated in the event.

Krishna Jayanthi, which is the celebration of the birthday of Lord Krishna, is the most important festival of the temple and is highly popular among its devotees. Due to its close proximity to the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, many Chinese devotees began worshipping at Sri Krishnan Temple as well. In response, the temple management built an altar dedicated to Guan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, within its grounds. As they symbolised the harmonious coexistence of different faiths, both temples were included in Harmony Walks, a programme launched by the National Heritage Board in 2019, offering free guided tours along Queen, Waterloo, and Bencoolen Streets, highlighting the cultural and religious diversity of the area.



For more information
Sri Krishnan Temple. Infopedia. Accessed 1 August 2025. https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=b2a9c558-65c6-4fee-96d2-3f8cc426284c
Sri Krishnan Temple. Straits Times. Accessed 1 August 2025. https://www.orientalarchitecture.com/sid/585/singapore/singapore/sri-krishnan-temple
Sri Krishnan Temple. =Accessed 1 August 2025. https://www.ura.gov.sg/Conservation-Portal/Explore/History?bldgid=SKNTPL
Sri Krishnan Temple. Straits Times. Accessed 1 August 2025. https://str.sg/ofFj
Sri Krishnan Temple. Straits Times. Accessed 1 August 2025. https://str.sg/Jiff

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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.