Woman Shares Her Life As A Chinese Hindu In Singapore: ‘We Are All The Same’

A video of two women sharing their experience as Chinese Hindus in Singapore has caught the internet’s attention. The video features Estella and her grandmother, Mdm Tan, discussing their day-to-day life in the country. They offered insights into how they practice the religion, their relationships with non-Hindu neighbours and the unique connections they have formed with Hindus through their “shared faith.”

The video, posted by the Singapore Kindness Movement on Instagram, also features Estella revealing details about running a home temple.

“The goddess, Kali, was actually given by the Sri Mariammam Temple in Chinatown. Afterwards, when the temple was being demolished, my grandparents actually brought as much as possible, all the deities, back into the space so that we can continue the praying and legacy of my grandparents. Some of the neighbours here are not Hindus as well, but they are also very accepting of what my grandmother is doing as a house temple here,” Estella explained.

“I think there’s often a misconception that race and religion are the same. Sometimes when I tell people that I’m Hindu, they will actually ask me, ‘Oh, are you sure?’ It is a very embracing community, where I do not feel different but instead, it’s like a special connection because we believe in the same faith and religion,” she adds.

Her grandmother contributes by saying, “My husband started going to the temple with his Hindu friends and he was asked by the gods to be a medium. When I do the yearly temple decoration, my neighbours have never complained about the noise. Since I became Hindu, I now have a lot of Indian friends, we are all the same. As I don’t know how to speak the language, I will use hand gestures to communicate.”

Reacting to the post, a user wrote, “When I travelled to Singapore from Canada, I learned that there are Hindu Chinese, and I was so humbled realizing I knew so little and the vastness of our world.”

Another simply shared, “This is so beautiful.”

“They have saved the temple and keeping it alive, incredible,” a comment read.

Another wrote, “This is cool. Too many people mistakenly associate Hindu as a synonym for Indians. I love seeing people from different ethnicities embracing Sanatana Dharma.”

“Hat’s off to the lady keeping legacy of her husband’s legacy alive,” read a reply.

One more added, “Well I learnt something new today. Thank god for the internet which teaches us so much more than hate and crime.”

The video has garnered over 5 lakh views so far.