The history of this temple goes back more than 70 years, to the time when Malayan Railway started in 1932. The Hindu employees working in the Malayan railway and living around the Queenstown area wanted an abode to cater their spiritual needs. Soon, they placed stones together with a spear under a banyan tree and this spot soon became to be known as Muniandy Temple where all would congregate for d...View More
The history of this temple goes back more than 70 years, to the time when Malayan Railway started in 1932. The Hindu employees working in the Malayan railway and living around the Queenstown area wanted an abode to cater their spiritual needs. Soon, they placed stones together with a spear under a banyan tree and this spot soon became to be known as Muniandy Temple where all would congregate for daily prayers.
In 1961, the idea of restructuring the shrine into a modest temple was conceived. The forest between the hut and the main road was cleared and a path was then opened leading to the temple. The following years, a working committee was set up headed by Mr. Dharmalingam, a railway worker. The then committee decided unanimously to register itself as a society to build and administer the Temple. On 1st March 1967, the Muneeswaran Temple society was officially registered.
Hindus residing in Queenstown turned up to support the Temple Society and the first Management Committee was set up. To build the temple, permission had to be sought from the Malayan Railway Administration, as the proposed temple site stood on the land belonging to the Malayan Railway Administration and the cost of the Temple construction was estimated to be $7,000.
A membership drive was launched and appeal letters were sent to Hindus residing in the Queenstown area, with the generous support of the all the Hindus, the construction was completed in December 1969.the statues of the various deities were imported from India and the Temple started with a few staff.
The first Kumbabishegam of the New Temple was held on 18th January 1970. The business of the temple Started with a Temporary Occupation License. In 1987, problem aroses on the site of which Temple stood belonged to the Malayan Railway and was on a Temporary Occupation License from the Singapore Government. Soon, the Temple had to give a way to the road widening project along Queensways and had to be re-built on a new site.
In 1994, a new site along Commonwealth Drive was purchased at a cost of $550,000 from HDB. Works started in 1995 to build a new Temple and it was totally rebuilt at a cost of $2,000,000 in 1998. The Kumbabishegam of the new Temple was held on 1st February 1998, attended by 10,000 devotees.
Since 2008,the Temple has started Bursary awards to needy Primary, Secondary and Junior College students. The Top Marks Student care centre administered by the Temple and serving about 50 primary students has been around for the last 8 years.
The 4th Kumbabishegam held on 10th July 2011 heralds a new era for the Temple and the Management Committee wishes to extend its hand to all to help develop a better Temple to serve the Hindus and Singaporeans in general
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