Hinduism and Minority Faiths

<h1>Hinduism and Minority Faiths</h1> Hinduism in Singapore is practised mainly within the Indian community through Tamil, Malayalee, Telugu, and other linguistic traditions, while Sikhs, Jews, Jains, Zoroastrians, Baha'is and other small faith groups maintain visible institutions despite census shares far below Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, or Taoism. Singapore has no state religion and no single statutory regulator for every non-Muslim faith (<a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.religion.religious-landscape">religious landscape</a>). Hindu worship is partly administered through the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB), a MCCY-appointed body under the Hindu Endowments Act, but most Hindu temples and all Sikh gurdwaras beyond two incorporated sites run through their own societies and charities subject to general law (<a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.religious-governance-register">religious governance register</a>). Census share, the four HEB temple endowments, and HEB-versus-MUIS scope traps are tabulated in <a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.hinduism-institution-anchors">hinduism institution anchors</a>. <h2>Census profile and overlap with ethnicity</h2> In the 2020 census, 5.0% of Singapore residents aged 15 years and over reported Hinduism — about 172,963 people in the published planning-area tables — down marginally from 5.1% in 2010 (<a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.religion-demographics">religion demographics</a>; <a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.hinduism-institution-anchors">hinduism institution anchors</a>; <a href="https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_a58564fbed922609a0f79af96069dd9b/view">data.gov.sg, Census 2020</a>). Sikhism was reported by 10,847 residents in the qualification-by-sex tables (<a href="https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_4280f9855d2ede51c51b4f9cbdc1304f/view">data.gov.sg, Census 2020</a>). Jews, Jains, Zoroastrians, and Baha'is are not separate census headline categories; they sit inside other religions, which together accounted for 0.6% of resident adults in 2020 (<a href="https://www.singstat.gov.sg/-/media/files/publications/cop2020/sr1/infographics.pdf">SingStat infographic, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The census records one reported affiliation, not temple attendance or mixed practice. Hinduism correlates with the Indian ethnic category in <a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.demographics-society.population-and-ethnic-groups">population and ethnic groups</a> but does not map cleanly: among residents aged 15 and over who identified as Indian, 57.3% reported Hinduism in 2020, while substantial Indian minorities reported Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, or no religion (<a href="https://www.singstat.gov.sg/-/media/files/publications/cop2020/sr1/infographics.pdf">SingStat infographic, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Retrieval must never infer faith from race alone. <h2>Hindu Endowments Board and the Hindu Advisory Board</h2> The Hindu Endowments Board is a statutory body constituted under the Hindu Endowments Act 1968 to administer Hindu religious and charitable endowments placed under its control (<a href="https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/HEA1968">SSO HEA, accessed Aug 2026</a>). An endowment under the Act means land, buildings, or money given for a Hindu temple, shrine, school, or other Hindu religious or charitable purpose (<a href="https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/HEA1968">SSO HEA, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Board sits under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) (<a href="https://www.sgdi.gov.sg/ministries/mccy/committees/heb">SGDI HEB, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Board directly administers four temple endowments: Sri Mariamman Temple, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Sri Sivan Temple, and Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple (<a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.hinduism-institution-anchors">hinduism institution anchors</a>; <a href="https://heb.org.sg/about-us/">HEB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). It also runs HEB-Ashram, a halfway house, and organises major public festivals including Thaipusam and the Theemithi fire-walking festival at Sri Mariamman Temple (<a href="https://heb.org.sg/about-us/">HEB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Board members are Singapore citizens who are Hindus, appointed by the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth for three-year terms; the current board was appointed until 31 May 2029 (<a href="https://heb.org.sg/about-us/">HEB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Beyond its four temples, the Board has supervisory powers over the accounts of all Hindu endowments in Singapore, including those it does not manage — account supervision is not the same as day-to-day temple management (<a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.hinduism-institution-anchors">hinduism institution anchors</a>). Any person managing an endowment must attend before the Board and answer questions about it when requested (<a href="https://heb.org.sg/about-us/">HEB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>; <a href="https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/HEA1968">SSO HEA, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Act also empowers the Board to promote social, cultural, and educational activities and to foster inter-religious communication (<a href="https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/HEA1968">SSO HEA, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Temples under Board administration may not be used for political purposes (<a href="https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/HEA1968">SSO HEA, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Hindu Advisory Board (HAB) advises the Government and the Hindu Endowments Board on Hindu religion and customs. Its chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, and eight members are likewise appointed by the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth; the current HAB serves until 31 May 2029 (<a href="https://heb.org.sg/about-us/">HEB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). HAB is advisory, not a court or a substitute for charity, planning, or harmony law. Community programmes run by HEB include an annual health fair, the Sivadas-HEB Education Fund bursaries for disadvantaged Hindu pupils, and monthly provisions through Gift from the Heart (<a href="https://heb.org.sg/about-us/">HEB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Board is a member of the Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore (IRO) (<a href="https://heb.org.sg/about-us/">HEB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). <h2>Major temples, festivals, and non-HEB institutions</h2> Singapore's Hindu landscape extends well beyond the four HEB-administered temples. Dozens of shrines — many registered as societies and charities — serve neighbourhood, linguistic, and caste-lineage communities across housing estates and <a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.tourism-attractions.cultural-districts">Little India</a>. Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road, one of the HEB temples, is among Singapore's oldest Hindu sites in continuous use; the present structure and five-tier gopuram were completed in the 1960s, and the temple was gazetted a national monument in 1978 (<a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/national-monuments/sri-srinivasa-perumal-temple">NHB Srinivasa Perumal, accessed Aug 2026</a>). It is the customary starting point for the annual Thaipusam foot procession. Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on Tank Road — the Chettiars' Temple dedicated to Murugan — was built in 1859 and is managed by the Chettiars' Temple Society, not HEB (<a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/national-monuments/sri-thendayuthapani-temple">NHB Thendayuthapani, accessed Aug 2026</a>; <a href="https://sttemple.com/about-stt/">STT about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). It was gazetted as Singapore's 67th national monument on 20 October 2014 — the third Hindu temple accorded that status (<a href="https://sttemple.com/about-stt/">STT about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The society also manages Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple in Chinatown (<a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/national-monuments/sri-thendayuthapani-temple">NHB Thendayuthapani, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Tank Road temple was re-consecrated on 1 June 2023 after renovation, restoring access to the main sanctum for major festivals (<a href="https://sttemple.com/about-stt/">STT about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Thaipusam is a major Tamil Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Murugan, with devotees carrying kavadi or milk pots along a roughly 4 km route from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple (<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/thaipusam-2024-drums-up-cheer-and-hope-for-18000-devotees">ST, Jan 2024</a>). More than 18,000 devotees participated in Thaipusam 2024 on 25 January, with pre-registration required (<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/thaipusam-2024-drums-up-cheer-and-hope-for-18000-devotees">ST, Jan 2024</a>). Thaipusam is culturally central but is not one of Singapore's 11 recurring public holidays (<a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.arts-culture-media.festivals-and-public-holidays">festivals and public holidays</a>; <a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.public-holiday-calendar">public holiday calendar</a>). Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, is a gazetted public holiday with Little India light-ups and home observances across Hindu and some non-Hindu families (<a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.arts-culture-media.festivals-and-public-holidays">festivals and public holidays</a>). The Theemithi fire-walking festival at Sri Mariamman Temple culminates in devotees walking across a fire pit after months of preparatory rites; HEB requires online registration for key rituals and does not sell walk-in tickets for fire-pit participation (<a href="https://heb.org.sg/about-us/">HEB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). HEB describes the festival as a significant religious event for Singapore Hindus for more than 150 years (<a href="https://heb.org.sg/about-us/">HEB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Hindu temples outside HEB administration follow the same organisational path as Buddhist and Christian premises: Registry of Societies registration, charity status where applicable, and Urban Redevelopment Authority place-of-worship planning approval for new or expanded sites (<a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.religious-governance-register">religious governance register</a>). HEB's statutory role is not equivalent to MUIS's AMLA layer over all Muslim life (<a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.religion.islam-and-muis">islam and muis</a>); it administers specified endowments and supervises accounts, while doctrine and leadership disputes at independent temples are handled through civil and charity law. <h2>Sikh community and the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board</h2> Sikhism in Singapore dates to colonial-era police, military, and trading communities; today Sikhs are a small but institutionally visible minority concentrated partly in the Bukit Merah and northern planning areas in census tables (<a href="https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_a58564fbed922609a0f79af96069dd9b/view">data.gov.sg, Census 2020</a>). The 2020 census recorded 10,847 resident adults reporting Sikhism (<a href="https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_4280f9855d2ede51c51b4f9cbdc1304f/view">data.gov.sg, Census 2020</a>). The Central Sikh Gurdwara Board (CSGB) is a body corporate under the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board Act 1981, which amalgamated the former Queen Street and Silat Road gurdwara trustee boards (<a href="https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act-Rev/CSGBA1981/Published/20211231?DocDate=19870330">SSO CSGBA, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Board manages and operates two gurdwaras: the Central Sikh Gurdwara at the Towner Road / Serangoon Road junction — historically the "Wadda Gurdwara" or big temple — and Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road along Jalan Bukit Merah (<a href="https://sikhs.org.sg/about/">CSGB about, accessed Aug 2026</a>; <a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/surveyed-sites/Central-Sikh-Gurdwara">NHB Central Sikh Gurdwara, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road contains the tombstone of Bhai Maharaj Singh, a revered nineteenth-century Sikh leader, and is among the community's most sacred sites (<a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/surveyed-sites/Central-Sikh-Gurdwara">NHB Central Sikh Gurdwara, accessed Aug 2026</a>). CSGB members must be Singapore citizens whose names appear on the Board's membership register of persons professing the Sikh faith (<a href="https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act-Rev/CSGBA1981/Published/20211231?DocDate=19870330">SSO CSGBA, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Central Sikh Gurdwara complex also houses the Singapore Sikh Education Foundation, a Sikh youth centre, and community facilities including a clinic (<a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/surveyed-sites/Central-Sikh-Gurdwara">NHB Central Sikh Gurdwara, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Other gurdwaras on the island — including temples serving northern estates after amalgamation into Gurdwara Sahib Yishun — operate under their own committees rather than through CSGB's incorporated pair (<a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/surveyed-sites/Central-Sikh-Gurdwara">NHB Central Sikh Gurdwara, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Vesakhi (Vaisakhi), a major Sikh religious observance, is widely celebrated but carries no national public-holiday status (<a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.public-holiday-calendar">public holiday calendar</a>). Sikhs participate in the IRO alongside Hindu, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, Taoist, Jain, Christian, Muslim, and Baha'i representatives (<a href="https://iro.sg/">IRO, accessed Aug 2026</a>). <h2>Jewish, Jain, Zoroastrian and other small communities</h2> The Jewish presence in Singapore is old but numerically small. The 2020 census does not publish a separate Jewish count; the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) estimated about 2,500 Jews in Singapore, mainly foreign residents, in reporting cited by the US Department of State in 2023 (<a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/singapore/">US State Dept 2023, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The community traces its institutions to nineteenth-century immigration and philanthropy. Maghain Aboth Synagogue on Waterloo Street, founded in 1878, and Chesed-El Synagogue on Oxley Rise, completed in 1905 by philanthropist Sir Manasseh Meyer, are the two operating synagogues (<a href="https://singaporejews.com/">singaporejews.com, accessed Aug 2026</a>; <a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/places/national-monuments/chesed-el-synagogue">NHB Chesed-El, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Chesed-El was gazetted a national monument; Maghain Aboth is Singapore's oldest synagogue (<a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/places/national-monuments/chesed-el-synagogue">NHB Chesed-El, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Jacob Ballas Centre and a Jewish school support religious education and social programming (<a href="https://singaporejews.com/">singaporejews.com, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Chesed-El operates under trustees of the Chesed El Synagogue Settlement Trust and opens for Monday morning prayers and major holidays, while Maghain Aboth handles most daily services — an arrangement that keeps both buildings in active worship (<a href="https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/places/national-monuments/chesed-el-synagogue">NHB Chesed-El, accessed Aug 2026</a>). A progressive United Hebrew Congregation holds monthly Friday-night services without its own building (<a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/singapore/">US State Dept 2023, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Jews have no Hindu- or Sikh-style statutory religious board; governance runs through the JWB, synagogue trusts, and charity law. Zoroastrian (Parsi) Singaporeans number roughly 350, according to community reporting cited when Singapore's first Parsi and Zoroastrian museum opened in March 2022 (<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/first-parsi-and-zoroastrian-museum-opens-in-rochor">ST, Mar 2022</a>). The Parsi Zoroastrian Association of South East Asia (PZAS) is headquartered at Zoroastrian House, 83 Desker Road, opened in 2011 as Singapore's only Parsi prayer hall (<a href="https://pzas.org/">PZAS, accessed Aug 2026</a>; <a href="https://www.iccs.sg/about/visit-singapore/places-of-worship/zoroastrian-house/">ICCS Zoroastrian House, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The hall hosts Sunday prayers at 11 a.m. but is not a consecrated fire temple; Singapore has no Zoroastrian fire temple, and worship occurs in private settings or at the communal hall (<a href="https://www.iccs.sg/about/visit-singapore/places-of-worship/zoroastrian-house/">ICCS Zoroastrian House, accessed Aug 2026</a>). PZAS opened a permanent museum exhibition, The Joyous Flame, at Zoroastrian House to document Parsi history in the region (<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/first-parsi-and-zoroastrian-museum-opens-in-rochor">ST, Mar 2022</a>). A historic Parsi burial ground has existed on the island since the nineteenth century (<a href="https://www.iccs.sg/about/visit-singapore/places-of-worship/zoroastrian-house/">ICCS Zoroastrian House, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The Singapore Jain Religious Society (SJRS) coordinates the small Jain community through spiritual programmes, seva, and outreach, with activities guided by its constitution and Jain principles (<a href="https://www.sjrs.org.sg/">SJRS, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Jains appear only inside the census other religions category, not as a standalone headline figure (<a href="https://www.singstat.gov.sg/-/media/files/publications/cop2020/sr1/infographics.pdf">SingStat infographic, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The IRO lists ten member traditions — Hindu, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, Taoist, Jain, Christian, Islam, Sikh, and Baha'i — reflecting institutional recognition in interfaith platforms even when census shares are tiny (<a href="https://iro.sg/">IRO, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Baha'i and other micro-communities generally organise through registered societies and participate in harmony programmes without dedicated statutory boards. <h2>Critical perspectives: governance compared with Islam and the secular state</h2> The Hindu Endowments Act constitutes the Hindu Endowments Board as a statutory body for Hindu religious and charitable endowments, while MCCY identifies HEB’s remit as including four named temples and major Hindu festivals (<a href="https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/HEA1968">Singapore Statutes Online, accessed Aug 2026</a>; <a href="https://www.mccy.gov.sg/contact-us/">MCCY, accessed Aug 2026</a>). That remit is narrower than a general regulator for every Hindu or minority-faith institution. Hindu and Sikh Singapore inherit partial statutory administration — HEB for named Hindu endowments, CSGB for two gurdwaras — but neither body regulates every temple or gurdwara, certifies food, runs schools, or administers personal law for all adherents the way MUIS does for defined Muslim matters under AMLA (<a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.religion.islam-and-muis">islam and muis</a>; <a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.religious-governance-register">religious governance register</a>). Jewish, Jain, Zoroastrian, and Baha'i communities rely on voluntary federations, synagogue or society trusts, and charity registration. Constitutional free-exercise rights under Article 15 apply to every faith (<a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.religion.religious-harmony-framework">religious harmony framework</a>). HEB and CSGB leaders are appointed through ministerial selection tied to citizenship and religious profession, not through elections open to all residents. Foreign clergy, speakers, and short-term religious workers remain subject to immigration and work-pass rules (<a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.religious-governance-register">religious governance register</a>). The existence of Hindu and Sikh statutory bodies reflects historical endowment law and community trusteeship, not establishment of Hinduism or Sikhism as national religions — the same secular-state distinction that applies when explaining MUIS (<a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.religion.religious-landscape">religious landscape</a>).

索引

简介

印度教与少数宗教

新加坡的印度教主要由印度社群以泰米尔语、马拉雅拉姆语、泰卢固语及其他语言传统实践；锡克教、犹太教、耆那教、祆教、巴哈伊教和其他小型宗教群体也拥有可见的机构，尽管其人口普查比例远低于佛教、基督教、伊斯兰教或道教。新加坡没有国教，也没有一个负责监管所有非穆斯林宗教的法定机构（宗教概况）。印度教事务部分由**印度教捐赠委员会（HEB）**管理；该委员会由文化、社区及青年部任命，并依据《印度教捐赠法》设立。不过，大多数印度教寺庙，以及两个已注册地点以外的所有锡克教谒师所，都由各自的社团和慈善机构运营，并受一般法律约束（宗教治理登记册）。人口普查比例、HEB管理的四项寺庙捐赠，以及HEB与MUIS职责范围的常见混淆，列于印度教机构要点。

人口普查概况及其与族群的重叠

在2020 年人口普查中，15 岁及以上的新加坡居民有5.0%申报信奉印度教；按已公布的规划区表格计算，约有172,963人，较2010 年的5.1%略有下降（宗教人口统计；印度教机构要点；data.gov.sg，《2020 年人口普查》）。按性别及学历划分的表格显示，有10,847名居民申报信奉锡克教（data.gov.sg，《2020 年人口普查》）。犹太教、耆那教、祆教和巴哈伊教并非人口普查单独列出的主要类别，而是归入“其他宗教”；该类别在2020 年合计占成年居民的0.6%（新加坡统计局信息图，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

人口普查记录的是受访者申报的一种宗教归属，并不记录其是否参加寺庙活动或兼有多种信仰实践；相关人口比例亦以 15 岁及以上居民为统计口径。印度教与人口及族群中的印度族群类别有关联，但两者并非完全对应：在2020 年，申报为印度族群、年龄为15 岁及以上的居民中，**57.3%**申报信奉印度教；相当一部分印度族群居民则申报信奉伊斯兰教、基督教、佛教或没有宗教信仰（新加坡统计局信息图，查阅于 2026 年八月）。检索时绝不能仅凭种族推断宗教信仰。

印度教捐赠委员会与印度教顾问委员会

印度教捐赠委员会是依据**《1968 年印度教捐赠法》设立的法定机构，负责管理交由其管辖的印度教宗教及慈善捐赠（新加坡法规在线《印度教捐赠法》，查阅于 2026 年八月）。该法所称的捐赠**，是指为印度教寺庙、神龛、学校或其他印度教宗教或慈善用途捐出的土地、建筑物或款项（新加坡法规在线《印度教捐赠法》，查阅于 2026 年八月）。委员会隶属文化、社区及青年部（MCCY）（新加坡政府部门名录：HEB，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

委员会直接管理四项寺庙捐赠：马里安曼庙、斯里尼瓦沙柏鲁马庙、斯里希万庙和斯里维拉维玛达卡莉安曼庙（印度教机构要点；HEB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。委员会还经营中途之家HEB-Ashram，并举办大型公众节庆，包括大宝森节以及在马里安曼庙举行的蒂米蒂火行节（HEB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。委员会成员须为新加坡公民且信奉印度教，由文化、社区及青年部长任命，任期三年；现届委员会的任期截至2029 年五月 31 日（HEB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

除上述四座寺庙外，委员会还有权监督新加坡所有印度教捐赠的账目，包括由其他机构管理的捐赠；监督账目不等于负责寺庙日常管理（印度教机构要点）。委员会提出要求时，任何管理捐赠的人都必须到场，并回答相关问题（HEB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月；新加坡法规在线《印度教捐赠法》，查阅于 2026 年八月）。该法也授权委员会推动社会、文化及教育活动，并促进宗教间交流（新加坡法规在线《印度教捐赠法》，查阅于 2026 年八月）。委员会管理的寺庙不得用于政治目的（新加坡法规在线《印度教捐赠法》，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

印度教顾问委员会（HAB）就印度教信仰和习俗向政府及印度教捐赠委员会提供意见。其主席、副主席、秘书和八名成员同样由文化、社区及青年部长任命；现届HAB任期截至2029 年五月 31 日（HEB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。HAB的职能是提供咨询，并非法院，也不能取代慈善、规划或宗教和谐法律。

HEB开展的社群项目包括年度健康博览会、为弱势印度教学生提供助学金的Sivadas-HEB教育基金，以及通过Gift from the Heart每月发放生活物资（HEB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。委员会是**新加坡宗教联谊会（IRO）**的成员（HEB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

主要寺庙、节庆及非HEB机构

新加坡的印度教景观远不止HEB管理的四座寺庙。数十座神龛——许多登记为社团和慈善机构——服务于住宅区和小印度各地的邻里、语言及种姓世系社群。

位于实龙岗路的斯里尼瓦沙柏鲁马庙是HEB管理的寺庙之一，也是新加坡持续使用历史最悠久的印度教场所之一；现有建筑及五层庙塔于上世纪六十年代竣工，寺庙于1978 年列为国家古迹（国家文物局：斯里尼瓦沙柏鲁马庙，查阅于 2026 年八月）。每年大宝森节的步行队伍通常从这里出发。

位于坦克路、供奉穆鲁干神的斯里坦达尤塔帕尼庙，又称切蒂亚尔庙，建于1859 年，由切蒂亚尔庙社团管理，并非由HEB管理（国家文物局：斯里坦达尤塔帕尼庙，查阅于 2026 年八月；斯里坦达尤塔帕尼庙简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。该庙于2014 年十月 20 日列为新加坡第六十七座国家古迹，是获此地位的第三座印度教寺庙（斯里坦达尤塔帕尼庙简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。该社团也管理牛车水的斯里拉扬悉地维纳亚加庙（国家文物局：斯里坦达尤塔帕尼庙，查阅于 2026 年八月）。坦克路的寺庙翻修后于2023 年六月 1 日重新举行开光仪式，主要节庆期间的主殿也因此重新开放（斯里坦达尤塔帕尼庙简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

大宝森节是供奉穆鲁干神的重要泰米尔印度教节日，信众会抬着卡瓦迪或牛奶罐，沿约4 千米的路线，从斯里尼瓦沙柏鲁马庙步行至斯里坦达尤塔帕尼庙（《海峡时报》，2024 年一月）。2024 年大宝森节于一月 25 日举行，超过18,000名信众参加，并须预先登记（《海峡时报》，2024 年一月）。大宝森节在文化上地位重要，但并非新加坡11 个每年固定的公共假日之一（节庆与公共假日；公共假日日历）。屠妖节又称灯节，是法定公共假日；小印度会举行亮灯活动，印度教家庭及部分其他宗教家庭也会在家庆祝（节庆与公共假日）。

在马里安曼庙举行的蒂米蒂火行节，以信众在数月准备仪式后走过火坑作为高潮；HEB规定关键仪式须在线登记，不出售供人临时入场参加走火坑仪式的门票（HEB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。HEB称，逾150 年来，该节庆一直是新加坡印度教徒的重要宗教活动（HEB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

HEB管理范围以外的印度教寺庙，采用与佛教及基督教场所相同的组织路径：向社团注册局注册，符合条件时取得慈善机构身份，并为新建或扩建场所取得市区重建局的宗教场所规划批准（宗教治理登记册）。HEB的法定职能不等同于MUIS依据AMLA对所有穆斯林生活领域所承担的监管层级（伊斯兰教与MUIS）；HEB管理指定捐赠并监督账目，独立寺庙的教义及领导争议则依民事和慈善法律处理。

锡克社群与中央锡克教谒师所委员会

新加坡锡克教的历史可追溯至殖民时期的警察、军人和贸易社群；如今，锡克教徒虽是人数较少的群体，却拥有可见的机构，人口普查表格显示他们部分集中于武吉美拉及北部规划区（data.gov.sg，《2020 年人口普查》）。2020 年人口普查记录有10,847名成年居民申报信奉锡克教（data.gov.sg，《2020 年人口普查》）。

中央锡克教谒师所委员会（CSGB）依据《1981 年中央锡克教谒师所委员会法》成为法人团体；该法将原有的奎因街和西拉路谒师所受托人委员会合并（新加坡法规在线《中央锡克教谒师所委员会法》，查阅于 2026 年八月）。委员会管理并运营两座谒师所：位于汤纳路与实龙岗路交界的中央锡克教谒师所，历史上称为“Wadda Gurdwara”或大寺；以及沿着惹兰武吉美拉的西拉路谒师所（CSGB简介，查阅于 2026 年八月；国家文物局：中央锡克教谒师所，查阅于 2026 年八月）。西拉路谒师所内有受尊崇的十九世纪锡克领袖Bhai Maharaj Singh的墓碑，是社群最神圣的场所之一（国家文物局：中央锡克教谒师所，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

CSGB成员须为新加坡公民，并列入委员会记录信奉锡克教人士的会员名册（新加坡法规在线《中央锡克教谒师所委员会法》，查阅于 2026 年八月）。中央锡克教谒师所建筑群也设有新加坡锡克教教育基金会、锡克青年中心，以及包括诊所在内的社群设施（国家文物局：中央锡克教谒师所，查阅于 2026 年八月）。岛上其他谒师所——包括合并后服务北部住宅区的义顺谒师所——由各自委员会运营，并不属于CSGB注册的两座谒师所（国家文物局：中央锡克教谒师所，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

维萨基节（Vaisakhi）是重要的锡克教宗教节日，广泛受到庆祝，但不是全国公共假日（公共假日日历）。锡克教徒与印度教、犹太教、祆教、佛教、道教、耆那教、基督教、伊斯兰教及巴哈伊教代表一同参与IRO活动（IRO，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

犹太教、耆那教、祆教及其他小型社群

新加坡的犹太社群历史悠久，但人数不多。2020 年人口普查没有公布单独的犹太人口数字；犹太福利委员会（JWB）估计新加坡约有2,500名犹太人，且主要是外籍居民；美国国务院在2023 年的报告中引述了这一估计（美国国务院 2023 年报告，查阅于 2026 年八月）。该社群的机构源自十九世纪的移民和慈善活动。

滑铁卢街的玛根阿伯犹太会堂创立于1878 年；奥克斯利坡的赫塞德埃尔犹太会堂由慈善家Sir Manasseh Meyer兴建，于1905 年落成。这是目前运营的两座犹太会堂（新加坡犹太社群网站，查阅于 2026 年八月；国家文物局：赫塞德埃尔犹太会堂，查阅于 2026 年八月）。赫塞德埃尔犹太会堂已列为国家古迹；玛根阿伯则是新加坡历史最悠久的犹太会堂（国家文物局：赫塞德埃尔犹太会堂，查阅于 2026 年八月）。Jacob Ballas中心和一所犹太学校为宗教教育及社群活动提供支持（新加坡犹太社群网站，查阅于 2026 年八月）。赫塞德埃尔由赫塞德埃尔犹太会堂安置信托的受托人管理，并在星期一早晨及主要节日开放祈祷；大部分日常礼拜则在玛根阿伯举行。这种安排让两座建筑都持续用于礼拜（国家文物局：赫塞德埃尔犹太会堂，查阅于 2026 年八月）。进步派的联合希伯来会众每月举行一次星期五晚间礼拜，但没有自己的建筑（美国国务院 2023 年报告，查阅于 2026 年八月）。犹太社群没有类似印度教或锡克教的法定宗教委员会；其治理通过JWB、犹太会堂信托及慈善法律进行。

据社群报道，新加坡约有350名祆教（帕西教）信徒；该报道是在新加坡首座帕西人与祆教博物馆于2022 年三月开幕时引用的（《海峡时报》，2022 年三月）。东南亚帕西祆教协会（PZAS）总部设于德斯克路 83 号的祆教之家；该处于2011 年开放，是新加坡唯一的帕西祈祷堂（PZAS，查阅于 2026 年八月；ICCS：祆教之家，查阅于 2026 年八月）。祈祷堂于星期日早上 11 点举行祈祷，但它不是经过祝圣的拜火庙；新加坡没有祆教拜火庙，信众在私人场所或公共祈祷堂礼拜（ICCS：祆教之家，查阅于 2026 年八月）。PZAS在祆教之家开设永久博物馆展览The Joyous Flame，记录帕西人在本区域的历史（《海峡时报》，2022 年三月）。自十九世纪以来，岛上一直设有历史悠久的帕西人墓地（ICCS：祆教之家，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

**新加坡耆那教宗教协会（SJRS）**通过灵修活动、服务和外展活动联络规模较小的耆那教社群；相关活动依照协会章程及耆那教原则开展（SJRS，查阅于 2026 年八月）。人口普查中，耆那教只列在“其他宗教”类别内，并无单独公布的主要统计数字（新加坡统计局信息图，查阅于 2026 年八月）。

IRO列出十种成员传统：印度教、犹太教、祆教、佛教、道教、耆那教、基督教、伊斯兰教、锡克教及巴哈伊教。这体现了这些宗教即使在人口普查中的比例很小，仍获跨宗教平台的机构承认（IRO，查阅于 2026 年八月）。巴哈伊教及其他极小型社群通常通过注册社团组织活动，并参与宗教和谐项目，但没有专属的法定委员会。

批判性观点：与伊斯兰教及世俗国家治理的比较

《印度教捐赠法》将印度教捐赠委员会设为管理印度教宗教及慈善捐赠的法定机构；文化、社区及青年部则说明，HEB的职责涵盖指定的四座寺庙及主要印度教节庆（新加坡法规在线，查阅于 2026 年八月；文化、社区及青年部，查阅于 2026 年八月）。这项职责的范围小于监管所有印度教或少数宗教机构的一般性监管机构。

新加坡的印度教及锡克教社群实行的是部分法定管理：HEB负责指定的印度教捐赠，CSGB负责两座谒师所。但两者都不监管每一座寺庙或谒师所，也不为所有信众认证食品、经营学校或管理个人法；这些职责不同于MUIS依据AMLA处理特定穆斯林事务的职能（伊斯兰教与MUIS；宗教治理登记册）。犹太教、耆那教、祆教及巴哈伊教社群则依靠自愿组成的联合组织、犹太会堂或社团信托，以及慈善机构注册制度。

宪法第十五条保障所有宗教的自由实践权（宗教和谐框架）。HEB和CSGB的领导人通过部长任命产生，任命条件与公民身份及宗教信仰相关，并非由所有居民投票选出。外籍宗教人士、讲员和短期宗教工作者仍须遵守移民及工作准证规定（宗教治理登记册）。印度教和锡克教法定机构的存在，反映的是历史上的捐赠法律及社群受托管理制度，并不表示印度教或锡克教成为国教；解释MUIS时同样适用这种世俗国家的区分（宗教概况）。

讨论

等待回答