In 1868, the Colonial Government in Singapore granted a parcel of land along Orchard Road to Gossain Hindus, Giniesh Poree and Mooloo, to build a temple. There was a condition in the land grant that the site could only be used for a temple for Maha Deo (in reference to Lord Shiva).  When first established, the temple was a simple structure and popularly referred to as the Orchard Road Sivan Temple. In 1898, with approval from the Municipal Architect, the temple was rebuilt in concrete with arched domes.

In 1941, during World War II, the temple suffered some structural damage. Despite it being the Japanese Occupation of Singapore and war time conditions, the Hindu community were able to raise enough funds to restore the temple. Using old photographs, exact replicas of the damaged idols were created by a local stone mason, and the temple was re-consecrated in July 1943.

In 1960, local authorities required the temple to be set back by several meters for the widening of Orchard Road. This meant that the temple had to be pulled own and rebuilt. The re-construction was completed in 1964 followed by its consecration that same year. Even though the rebuilt temple was a minimal structure with a low entryway, it housed new additions like a religious hall and staff quarters. 

A most significant change happened in 1983, when the temple site at Orchard was acquired for the purpose of building an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station. That same year, an alternate site on the eastern part of Singapore was chosen for the temple to move to. While funds were raised and plans underway for re-siting Sri Sivan Temple to Geylang East, all the deities from the Orchard Road temple were temporarily installed in a transient site in Serangoon Road (next to the Srinivasa Perumal Temple). Sri Sivan Temple operated from this temporary premises for ten years, until the move to its present location in Geylang East in 1993.