The Hungry Ghost Festival isn’t all about wandering ghosts and things to avoid doing during the 7th month, lest you accidentally invite a spirit home. For Buddhists, the month is also a time for honouring ancestors, making offerings, and keeping traditions alive.
One such example is Thekchen Choling Singapore’s Ullambana Festival, which is part of its 25th anniversary celebrations. This year, visitors can take part in a range of activities, including offering and recitation sessions, as well as check out the newly introduced Blessings Mailbox.
Thekchen Choling’s annual animal blessing ceremony.
Image credit: Thekchen Choling via Facebook
Thekchen Choling was founded in 2001, but the Vajrayana Buddhist temple’s roots date back to 2 years before it was officially registered as a society. It first began as a Dharma Centre in 1999, hosting students at Thong Soon Road to deepen their understanding and experience of Buddha’s teachings.
The temple is named after the monastery of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, dedicated to making ancient Buddhist wisdom accessible and relevant in our modern city. And while prayers are often what comes to mind when you think of a temple, Thekchen Choling has been involved in much more since its early days.
Over the years, it has hosted a variety of events like the largest annual Vesak Animal Blessing ceremony, community outreach, and interfaith dialogues. The temple even has a Leagues Youth SAIL Program, a weekly session for 13- to 19-year-olds that aims to nurture the next generation of leaders, as well as the Thekchen Choling Education Bursary Award, which supports nearly 50 students from low-income families annually.
This year, the temple is celebrating its 25th anniversary, with the running theme “Cherishing 25 Years of Togetherness” across their festivities. For Thekchen Choling’s 2026 Ghost Festival, or “100,000 Buddhas Great Liberation Ullambana Festival”, the temple will be hosting a range of activities dedicated to benefiting and liberating all sentient beings, while expressing gratitude to our loved ones.
You can expect activities such as Divine Protection & Blessings, where devotees will be able to submit names, which will be placed at the shrine of the Thousand-Arm Guanyin to seek protection from sudden illness or misfortune during the lunar month.
Thekchen Choling’s Grand Meritorious Offering and Charity.
Image credit: Thekchen Choling
Meals and daily necessities will also be offered to over 200 Venerables as part of the temple’s celebration of Buddha’s Joyful Day on 27th August 2026. You’ll even be able to experience the temple’s annual tradition of food offerings and transmigratory prayers during the Grand Meritorious Offering and Charity on 23rd August 2026.
Thekchen Choling has also introduced a new activation, the Blessings Mailbox, as part of its Ullambana Festival.
The passing of a loved one often leaves much unsaid, be it words of thanks, an apology, or a simple update on how life is going. The Blessings Mailbox is an initiative that encourages you to pen personal letters to a departed loved one, such as parents, grandparents, friends, or even your pets. These messages will then be blessed by the temple’s Sangha as part of its rites for the Ullambana Festival.
Since Buddhist memorial rites tend to be more traditional, the Blessings Mailbox is also meant to give younger visitors a way to participate in the Ullambana Festival commemorations. If you’re interested, you can take part in the activation on temple grounds from now till 29th August 2026.
You begin by writing a personal letter to the departed at a dedicated reflection space within the temple. These letters are then placed into the Blessing Mailbox for the temple’s Sangha to dedicate prayers and merits throughout the Ghost Festival.
At the end of the festival, your messages will be offered in a sacred ceremonial burning rite, symbolising the releasing of messages of love, gratitude, and remembrance into the spiritual world.
Image credit: Carrie Sim
The temple is a quick 7-minute walk from Bendemeer MRT Station, or 13 minutes on foot from Farrer Park MRT Station.
For those who prefer taking the bus, services 21, 21A, 23, 64, 65, 67, 125, 130, 139, 141, 147, 147A, 857, and 857B make a stop at the Hoa Nam Bldg bus stop. Alternatively, bus services 13, 67, 133, 141, and 145 will be able to drop you off at Bef Kallang Bahru bus stop. Both of these bus stops are just a short 3-minute walk away from the temple.
If the 7th month has got you thinking about a loved one who has departed, take this chance to pen down your thoughts with the Blessings Mailbox initiative. Whether it’s a heartfelt message or a prayer, this is a meaningful way to convey your feelings and honour their memory during the Ullambana Festival.
For more events in SG:
Cover image adapted from: Carrie Sim
Pen a letter to a departed loved one this 7th month.
The event will be held on 22nd and 23rd August, as well as 12th, 13th…
A different, fluffier experience than the exotic birds and lions at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Save more than a couple of bucks!
Here's a comprehensive list of things to see and do the next time you hike…
More details on dates and ticket prices will be released at a later date.