Tathagata is the Sanskrit term for the “highest epithet of Buddha”, which is used to refer to Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism who is also known as Sakyamuni. The pagoda was originally 15 stories tall when it was first built in 1937, before it was reduced to four stories when Aw Boon Haw instructed his craftsmen to install the statue of Sakyamuni in replacement. Originally called Tiger Balm Gardens, Haw Par Villa was built in 1937 by Aw, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who was also synonymous with Tiger Balm, the renowned ointment that was successfully marketed in Singapore and around the region.
