Cats, dogs, birds, and even a hamster spotted at Singapore’s largest animal blessing ceremony

More than 700 pets and their owners gathered in Serangoon on Tuesday (26 May) for what organisers described as Singapore’s largest animal blessing ceremony.

Held at the open field beside NEX shopping mall, the event was part of ‘Our Joyous Vesak’, a week-long festival leading up to Vesak Day on 31 May.

It is organised by Thekchen Choling Singapore in celebration of its Silver Jubilee this year.

The fifth annual Animal Blessing Ceremony drew crowds of animal lovers carrying cats, dogs, rabbits, and other pets, who queued to receive blessings from Venerable Sanghas.

Pets and owners receive blessings

The ceremony, which began at 7pm, saw monks offering blessings for the animals’ wellbeing, happiness, and future.

Wen Xuan, 29, who works in marketing, told MS News that she thinks her pet Maltese, Daisy, is a Buddhist.

“Whenever we visit our parents’ or relatives’ homes with Buddha, she always ends up sitting right in front of the Buddha statue,” she said.

“So we wanted to give her all the blessings she can get.”

Many attendees cradled their pets as they waited their turn, while others snapped photos of the unusual sight of hundreds of animals gathered in one place.

Jacob, who works in the banking industry, was spotted at the event with Beckham, his pet Polish chicken.

He explained that his pet chicken was incubated from an egg that was laid on 7 May, which inspired the name due to David Beckham’s jersey number.

However, Jacob shared that the chicken’s first name was actually Victoria as it was a female.

“We just decided to name it Beckham because we weren’t sure if it would be male or female,” he added.

Ahead of the blessing ceremony, visitors also attended a Dharma Sharing session titled ‘You Are Your Pet’s Guru’.

The session explored how owners can become more mindful and compassionate caregivers to their pets.

Throughout the evening, pet owners also participated in various merit-making activities with their animals, including bathing the Buddha and offering flowers.

Event part of largest Vesak festival

The animal blessing ceremony is one of the highlights of ‘Our Joyous Vesak’, which runs from 25 to 31 May at the NEX open field.

This year marks the largest edition of the festival to date, expanding from a three-day programme previously to a week-long celebration.

Festival-goers were also able to view Southeast Asia’s largest Shakyamuni Buddha appliqué thangka.

The sacred piece of art was unveiled on the opening day of the event.

Standing four storeys tall, the giant thangka was hand-sewn using silk brocade, beads, and sequins.

Another key attraction at the festival is a 16-foot replica of the Bodhgaya Stupa, modelled after the UNESCO World Heritage site in India that marks the Buddha’s enlightenment more than 2,600 years ago.

Organisers hope festival connects people

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Thekchen Choling Singapore Emmeline Ang, the festival aims to bring the community together regardless of background or belief.

“Thekchen Choling has always been about opening our doors to everyone,” she said.

“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary this year, we’re taking that further by bringing our Vesak celebrations directly into the community in a bigger way than ever.”

She added that organisers hope visitors would “experience something new” and leave feeling “more connected — to themselves, and to one another”.

Dennis, 43, who works in the non-profit sector, and was at the event with his pet cat, Xiao Hei, agreed.

“It’s a chance for them to see the world. And also for me to get to know some other dog or cat lovers as well,” he shared.

This year’s festival takes inspiration from the Buddhist parable of the Four Friends, which symbolises harmony and mutual respect.

Pet-friendly rides for attendees

In partnership with the festival, ride-hailing platform Ryde provided pet-friendly transport for those heading to the event.

Visitors were also able to redeem RydeCoins through an on-site promotion during the ceremony.

Other highlights scheduled for the week include the Heart of Giving Market with Braddell Heights Constituency on 30 May, as well as the Grand Dharma Light Circumambulation led by Singha Rinpoche on Vesak Eve.

The temple will also hold a Vesak Day Prayer for World Peace and Harmony on 31 May.

Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng is also expected to grace the festival on Vesak Eve (30 May) and Vesak Day as the Guest of Honour.

Pets Receive Blessings At Jalan Besar Temple On Vesak Day Eve, Owners Brave The Crowd

Featured image by MS News. Photography by Cassia Leong.