Tourist attractions are in abundance in the island nation of Singapore and at many times, it is also considered as one of the most popular shopping destinations in the world, but seldom will you hear about the importance of the nation as a pilgrimage place, centered on the famous Kusu Island which forms a part of the innumerable islands of Singapore.
With its existence immersed in myth and legend, Kusu Island has gained immense popularity with the Chinese and Malays as well as Muslims as being the home to two Holy shrines. According to folklore, it is believed that once there were two sailors of whom one was Malay and the other Chinese were drowning and on seeing this, a turtle turned into an island and saved their lives. As a gesture of thanking the Lord and the turtle, the Malay sailor built a Kramat Shrine and the Chinese built a Taoist Shrine. Ever since then, the Kusu Island came to be known as Turtle Island but in the Malay the island in called Pulau Tembakul.
Kusu Island was initially only two outcrops that existed on a reef, but today, it has been magnified to create a holiday island covering a total area of about eighty five thousand square meters. If you visit this island during the months from September to November in the Lunar Calendar, you will be stunned at the sight of the teeming pilgrims arriving at the island from far flung places to pay tribute and homage to the shrines and praying for peace, happiness, luck, prosperity and health for them and their families. The tranquility on the island will fill you too with peace, taking away all your worries with the gentle breeze.
The Chinese temple or Tua Pek Kong on the island was built by a well to do businessman and is home to two deities of Da Bo Gong (goddess of prosperity) and Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) and this is very much popular amongst the Chinese pilgrims. If you go up a hill on the island, you will find the Kramats which are three in number and in order to get there you will have to climb up one hundred and fifty two steps and are very much popular with the couples who are childless, who visit the shrines to pray for children.
Besides the shrines, there are opportunities for swimming too in the lagoon with warm waters and then simply sit on the beach and see the sun set in the blazing horizon. The wishing well and Tortoise sanctuary and turtle structure also provide for great interests. However, you cannot stay over at the island in the island, and hence a visit to the island has to be a day tour.
Getting to the island is very easy with several buses coming to Marina South Pier and from here avail of the Ferry services to reach the island.
Browse through the links of visittosingapore.com to know all about Singapore, as the site not only provides information on Kusu Island, but also other interesting areas of this nation. So enjoy surfing!
| 
