40 day kingdom prayer challenge 40Days02single | Page 26
Week
5
Indian
communities
in Singapore’s North-East Region
Hinduism arrived in Singapore in the early 19th century, with the wave of immigrants
from southern India to work mostly as labourers for the British East India Company. In
2015 Singapore had 361,000 Indians, including 120,000 permanent residents.
Although 20% of Indians in Singapore are residing in Singapore’s North-East, only two
Hindu temples service this population.
This community has a deep and rich spiritual culture, believing that there is one ultimate
god (Brahma) who expresses Himself in many different ways. Most Hindu homes have
shrines where family members worship the avatar (or expression) of Brahma to whom
they feel most connected - Shiva and Vishnu are the two most common.
The reality of spiritual power and oppression are acknowledged, and protection is
sought. Different avatars (or ‘gods’) are approached for different needs. Purity is also
an important concept in Hinduism for those who would approach the gods for puja
(‘worship’), meaning to see and be seen by the god.
There are heavy concentrations of Indian migrants in the north-east region - particularly
Sengkang and Punggol.
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40 day kingdom Prayer Challenge