Brought together by faith and art in Waterloo Street

Sri Krishna Temple on Waterloo street. [Photo provided to China Daily]

About seven minutes' walk from the synagogue are two other places of worship, separated by only a few steps. One is the Sri Krishna Temple, for Hindu believers; another is the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, for Buddhists.

While we were standing in front of the Hindu Temple, hesitating over whether to go in or not, Chu Kin Fong, our licensed tour guide, observed that about 40 percent of all who pray inside are Chinese. "Why? Partly because it's convenient," she said. "Many have just finished their religious rituals in the nearby Buddhist Temple, before coming here to pray for more benevolence."

This phenomenon may raise eye brows from religious purists. However, judging by all evidence, monks in the Hindu Temple have long shown an open attitude. Placed on a table in front of the temple entrance is a big urn, into which believers can put their incense sticks, before taking off their shoes to go inside.

"In the 1920s, at the suggestion of a Chinese believer who worshipped at both temples, the Indian temple had a craftsman coming over from India, to make a sculpture of Kwan Im, the much-worshipped Chinese Goddess of Mercy," said Chu said. "This is extremely unusual, bearing in mind that there is only one God in Hinduism and all the different deities are his various manifestations.

"More than a holy shrine, this place celebrates religious harmony."

Walking barefoot on a floor strewn with flower petals, I paid my respect to an array of immortals, including Kwan Im, whose features are slightly Indian.

Other religious presences include the classical features of the Catholic Church of St Peter and St Paul, built in 1870, as well as several community buildings such as the Catholic Welfare Center and the Catholic Hostel building.

Starting in the 1990s, with many buildings receiving conservation status, Waterloo Street has become a popular location for arts organizations. Right now the street is home to the Singapore Calligraphy Center, the Dance Ensemble Singapore and the Stamford Arts Center, among others. The Singapore Art Museum is at the junction of Waterloo Street and Bras Basah Road.

"Art has the ability to blur boundaries," Chu said