Nagore Durgha, Singapore

Not to be confused with Nagore Dargah or Nagore Durgha Sheriff.
Nagore Durgha
நாகூர் தர்கா
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam (Sufi)
Location
Location140 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068604
CountrySingapore
Location in Singapore
Coordinates1°16′53″N 103°50′52″E / 1.2814523°N 103.8477778°E / 1.2814523; 103.8477778
Architecture
TypeShrine and mosque
StyleIndo-Saracenic architecture
Established1827
Completed1830
2011 (As a museum)
Minaret4
Designated as NHL
Designated19 November 1974 (19 November 1974)
Reference no.9

The Nagore Durgha (Tamil: நாகூர் தர்கா; Chinese: 纳宫神社, romanized: Na Gong Shen She), alternatively known as the Nagore Dargâh, is an Indian Muslim heritage centre located along Telok Ayer Street in Chinatown, Singapore. Formerly a 19th-century shrine and memorial dedicated to Nagore Shahul Hamid, it now serves as a museum to commemorate the contributions of Indian Muslims in Singapore.[1][2][3]

History

A shrine dedicated to commemorate a visit of the 16th-century Muslim saint Nagore Shahul Hamid was built between 1828 to 1830 by the Chulias, a group of South Indian immigrants who worked in the Chinatown district.[4][5][6] The land on which the shrine stood on was originally granted to an Indian Muslim merchant named Kaderpillai, on condition that the land not be used for a building made of wood or attap.[4][7] The primary materials in the construction of the shrine, including limestone, concrete and steel, were imported from overseas by two brothers, Mohammed and Haja Mohideen.

The original trustee of the shrine's endowment was Kaderpillai, with his ownership of the shrine tied to a lease for a period of ninety-nine years since 1827.[8] After Kaderpillai had died, five new trustees were appointed on 15 June 1893 to manage the shrine.[8] By 1910, the land's lease was renewed and in November of that year, another group of new trustees was appointed from the committees of the other two mosques in Chinatown, Masjid Al-Abrar and Masjid Jamae Chulia.[8] After 1965, the shrine went under the management of the National Heritage Board as well as Singapore's Islamic council, the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS). It was later gazetted as a national heritage monument on 19 November 1974.[4][5][6]

Between 1982 to 1994, the shrine was used as a mosque.[7] The shrine was boarded up in the 1990s, starting from late 1994 due to deterioration.[9][10][11] In the 2000s, the shrine was closed to the public due as part of safety measures due to the structural issues.[9][11][12] Major renovation works to restore the shrine were conducted in 2007, although the shrine still remained closed to the public. Finally, in December 2010, the MUIS announced that the shrine would be converted into a museum to commemorate the contributions of Indian Muslims in Singapore, featuring exhibits including displays and artefacts about Indian Muslims.[13][14][15] Now functioning as an Indian Muslim heritage centre, the Nagore Durgha was officially reopened on 29 May 2011 by the then-President of Singapore, S.R. Nathan.[9][16]

The former shrine underwent extensive upgrading works in 2013 as well as complete repainting of the whole building. The upgrading was completed in late 2014 and the museum reopened its doors on 6 January 2015, introducing a brand new multimedia exhibit featuring the stories of pioneers of the Indian Muslim community.[5][17][18] Currently, the building does not function as a shrine or mosque anymore.[19]

Architecture

The Nagore Durgha is built in the style of Indo-Saracenic architecture although it has elements from other forms of European architecture such as the Corinthian capitals that support the entrance doorway.[20][21] Four minarets, each with fourteen layers and topped by an onion dome, flank each of the four corners of the main building.[20][21] Within the building, past the entrance, are galleries and exhibits on either side of the main hall as well as many corridors that contain exhibits themselves.[5][21]

Two keramats (enshrined graves) once existed in a sepulchre in the main hall of the shrine.[20] These keramats were mainly symbolic shrines that did not contain any human remains and were removed from the building after its conversion into a museum.[19][22] A restaurant that had been blessed by the descendants of Nagore Shahul Hamid also existed within the museum, but was later removed in 2012.[23]

  • Main facade of the Nagore Durgha, with three niches and the entrance doorway in the center.
  • The Nagore Durgha after the most recent renovations.
  • A close-up view of one of the minarets of the building.
  • Rear view of the building, with cars parked along Boon Tat Street.
  • Panoramic view of the entrance chamber of the building; the entrance to the main hall can be seen ahead.

Historic photographs

  • An aerial view of the Nagore Durgha shrine in 1910.
  • Nagore Durgha as seen in the 1930s. An unnamed mosque, of similar architectural construction, can be seen in the foreground opposite the shrine.
  • An early 19th century photograph of Telok Ayer Street. The shrine is in the right side of the picture, with the unnamed mosque visible in the left.
  • A photograph of Boon Tat Street in the late 19th century. The shrine can be seen in the background, as well as the minaret of the unknown mosque.

Transportation

The Nagore Durgha is directly accessible from Exit A of the Telok Ayer MRT station on the Downtown Line.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ "What you might not know about Singapore's national monuments". Yahoo News. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  2. ^ "Telok Ayer: Bayfront Worship | Sites & Spaces". Roots.gov.sg. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  3. ^ Tschacher, Torsten (2006). "From Local Practice to Transnational Network — Saints, Shrines and Sufis among Tamil Muslims in Singapore". Asian Journal of Social Science. 34 (2): 225–242. ISSN 1568-4849.
  4. ^ a b c Keys, Peter (10 January 1982). "Classic in design, rich in history". The Straits Times. p. 10.
  5. ^ a b c d "Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre in Telok Ayer launches new gallery". The Straits Times. 6 January 2015. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  6. ^ a b Rashith, Rahimah (29 September 2016). "A spiritual refuge on a bustling street". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  7. ^ a b Don, Ahmad (22 June 1982). "Masjid-masjid lama diperbaru tujuan dikekal binaan dulu" [Old mosques are being renovated with the aim of preserving their original construction]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 5.
  8. ^ a b c Hooi, Christopher (1982). National Monuments of Singapore. Singapore: National Museum. p. 21.
  9. ^ a b c "180-yr-old shrine in Singapore restored by Indian Muslim community". The Times of India. 30 May 2011. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  10. ^ "Pelan dirikan pusat warisan India-Islam" [Plans to establish Indo-Islamic heritage centre]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 3 August 1994. p. 14.
  11. ^ a b "Bakal jadi pusat warisan India-Muslim" [It will be a center of Indian-Muslim heritage]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 21 May 2005. p. 1.
  12. ^ "New Life For Monument". The Straits Times. 4 December 2006. p. 2.
  13. ^ "Singapore declares Muslim shrine as national heritage centre". The Hindu. 17 December 2010. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  14. ^ "First Indian Muslim Heritage Centre". TODAY (2nd ed.). 17 December 2010. p. 12.
  15. ^ "Nagore Dargah bakal jadi Taman Warisan Muslim India" [Nagore Dargah to become Indian Muslim Heritage Park]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 17 December 2010. p. 1.
  16. ^ Ramesh, S (30 May 2011). "Indian Muslim heritage centre opens". TODAY (2nd ed.). p. 24.
  17. ^ "Galeri baru di Pusat Warisan India Islam Nagore Dargah dibuka" [New gallery at Nagore Dargah Islamic India Heritage Centre opens]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 7 January 2015. p. 6.
  18. ^ "New gallery added to Indian Muslim heritage centre". The Straits Times. 7 January 2015. p. 6.
  19. ^ a b "Taman baru lagi" [Another new garden]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 19 December 2010. p. 8.
  20. ^ a b c Liu, Gretchen (1996). In Granite and Chunam: The National Monuments of Singapore. Singapore: Landmark Books. pp. 89–92. ISBN 9789813065031.
  21. ^ a b c "Nagore Dargah: A jewel restored". The Straits Times. 8 September 2016. p. 17.
  22. ^ Gibson, William (2022). "A complete catalog of keramat in Singapore". Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship Submission (Digitised ed.) – via National Library Board.
  23. ^ "5 things to know about the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre". The Straits Times. 7 January 2015. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  24. ^ "Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre (Preserve Monument) - 140 Telok Ayer Street (S)068604". www.streetdirectory.com. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
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