In April 1962, on the eve of Ponggal (Hindu harvest festival), a Hindu naval worker by the name of Pottukara Karuppiah had a dream about Hindu deity, Lord Muruga, and a golden cobra under an elantha (jujube) tree. Upon waking, he found the tree of his dream near Canberra Road, with an anthill under it. Interpreting it as a divine sign, he built an altar and placed a spear and pictures of several Hindu deities, including Lord Muruga, below the tree.
Hindu workers at the Naval Base began worshipping at the shrine. Upon appeal by the devotees, the British granted the land for religious use. In 1964, the shrine was officially registered as Punithamaram Sree Balasubramaniar Temple and a temple was built. ‘Punithamaram’ means ‘Holy Tree’, in reference to the elantha tree, and ‘Sree Balasubramaniar’ is another name of Lord Muruga. The Hindu community raised funds for the temple’s construction, and the British contributed building materials and support in logistics. The temple soon became the spiritual and community centre for Hindus living in Sembawang. Marriages and naming ceremonies for new-borns were held here. The temple also organised activities such as devotional singing classes.
In the 1990s, the temple had to relocate to make way for Sembawang New Town. It moved to Yishun Industrial Park in 1996 and the new temple building was consecrated in 1999. Today, it is registered as Holy Tree Sri Bala Subramaniar Temple.