To begin my journey of tracking down the religious trees of Singapore, I first visited Chua Chu Kang Hindu Cemetery. I read on online sources that there are two holy trees at the edge of the cemetery frequently visited by Hindu devotees, as they were known to be associated with very powerful Gods. The cemetery was completely deserted and silent. I spent about 20 minutes wandering through the graves to find the said holy trees, but up to no avail. Upon noticing an old man in the distance, I approached him to ask him about the trees. Unfortunately, he mentioned that the authorities removed the trees, as they were attracting too much attention. However, he mentioned that there was a third holy tree that was not removed, and directed me towards it. Eventually, I managed to find the tree.

Picture: Holy tree at CCK Hindu Cemetery, smeared with saffron.

The tree was very distinct, as the bark was smeared red with saffron. There were flowers, incense sticks, and offerings such as milk placed at the base of the tree, probably by worshippers that came before I did. I took some pictures and paid some respects as well.

Picture: Close-up shot of offerings placed at the base of the holy tree

Picture: Close-up shot of incense sticks placed along the roots of the holy tree

While I managed to find the last remaining holy tree, it was still upsetting to find out that authorities had to remove the two main God Trees. This was the complete opposite of what I was expecting to discover, especially in the lens of conservation and preservation of nature. The removal of the two holy trees is a striking point to show the clash of religion, environment and the advancement of society – and how the environment ends up in the losing end. It conveys a strong message to the public about how the authorities may disregard the link between religion and nature, and this could further dilute the beliefs people have about preserving the environment.

To make sense of how Hinduism was connected with the tree, I decided to visit a Hindu Temple to interview a priest. I went to Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, and before I could approach him, the Chief Priest, Mr Rajasekar, approached me – which was a pleasant surprise. He told me to feel free to ask him anything, and hence I proceeded with my interview.

Picture: Mr. Rajasekar, the Chief Priest of Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, and me, after the interview

Mr. Rajasekar mentioned that trees are seen as God themselves, and hence are worshipped. In particular, Neem Trees are seen as the Goddess Shakthi, and Peepal Trees are seen as the God Shiva. Another tree commonly worshipped is the Banyan Tree, which is a symbol of peace and healing. “Nevertheless, the followers of Hinduism respect and pray to all trees in general, as they are seen as the source of life. Trees provide oxygen, shade, shelter and are homes for wildlife, which is why they should be treasured”, he said.  Hence, it would be sinful to destroy them for our own selfish reasons. The development of respect for trees in Hinduism, therefore, does contribute to the preservation of nature.

Mr. Rajasekar was very passionate about sharing with me the connection between religion and nature, and hence we spoke for more than an hour. The summary of the rest of the interview can be found here.

After the Chua Chu Kang Hindu Cemetery Holy Tree, my next stop was the Toa Payoh God Tree Shrine. Click here to continue to the page.