About Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is one of the oldest and most popular Hindu temples in Singapore. It is located in the central section of Serangoon Road, at the heart of Little India in Singapore. It was built by early Indians who settled around the Serangoon Road area in the earlier part of the 19th century, when the British parcelled Serangoon Road area as an Indian enclave.
The early Indian community at Serangoon Road were involved in the cattle trade. Machineries used in the grinding of wheat and the pressing of sesame oil were powered by cattle. The cattle was fed with pineapple skin that came from a nearby pineapple processing factory. Residents of Serangoon Road includes the Indians that work at the jail at used to exist at the corner of Bras Basah Road and Bencoolen Street.
Sri Veeramakaliamman began as a small shrine - the earliest Hindu shrine in that area - and expanded over the ages, becoming the nerve centre of the area which soon grew to become Little India today. By the middle of the 17th century, the number of Indians in Singapore had increased to over ten thousand. Sri Veeramakaliamman served as the focus point for the Indians living in Serangoon Road and surrounding areas. It was a place that made them feel at home. In the earliest days, the temple was known as Soonambu Kambam Kovil, or lime village temple, because many of the devotees worked at the limestone kilns in that area.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, fierce embodiment of Shakti and the god Shiva's wife, Parvati. The name Veeramakaliamman means "Kali the Courageous". The temple was built in 1881 by labourers from Bengal, where the worship of Kali has always been popular. Inside the temple is a rather graphic statue of Kali. It shows her wearing a garland of skulls and ripping out the insides of her victims. There are also more peaceful images of Kali, showing her sharing peaceful family moments with her sons Ganesh, and Murugan. The central hall of the temple dates to 1953. One of the earlier statues of Kali dates to 1908.
Although it was built by Bengalis, the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple was built according to South Indian Tamil style, as opposed the style of temples in Bengal.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple underwent an overhaul in 1983, when the entire structure was rebuilt. In the midst of the reconstruction, workmen discovered ancient pieces of statues which may date to the 19th century. These were the locally made figurines, as the later ones were imported from India. The new temple was completed at a cost of $2.2 million. It has a huge rajagopuram (entrance tower) as its main feature.
Contact
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
141 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218042
Tel: 6 2954538/6 2934634
Fax: 6 2989361
E-mail: sriveera@starhub.net.sg / kumar@sriveeramakaliamman.com
Official Website: http://www.sriveeramakaliamman.com/
Getting there
You may visit this place as part of the Little India Walking Tour. To come here direct, the nearest MRT stations are the Bugis Station (EW12) and Little India Station (NE7).
Sights in Little India
These are all the sights I've grouped under Little India, listed in alphabetical order. I would recommend that you visit them together. See the Little India Walking Tour for a recommended walk of this area.
Abdul Gaffoor Mosque *
Angullia Mosque
Beo San Hood Chor Temple
Church of the True Light
Foochow Methodist Church
Hock Siew Tong Temple
Kampong Kapor Methodist Church
Leong San See Temple
Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hall
Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple (Temple of 1000 Lights) *
Shree Lakshminarayan Temple
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple *
Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple *
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple *
Shopping in Little India
The following are places where you can do a bit of shopping. These include places where the locals shop for their local items, but it provides an interesting glimpse of life in Singapore.
Little India Arcade
Mustafa Centre
Serangoon Plaza
Tekka Market
Where to stay
There is a wide selection of accommodation providers in Singapore. They range from budget inns and guesthouses to luxurious boutique hotels and branded chains. Your choice is entirely dependent on your budget and level of comfort expected. For mainstream hotels, check out hotels in Singapore for the best online prices, sourced from all the major providers. For guesthouses and other budget providers, check out hostels in Singapore for those with online booking facilities.
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Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (10 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Location Map of Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (10 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (10 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Sculptures on the gopuram of Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
author: imagine.asia in 
Sculptures on the gopuram of Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
author: Yoshihiro Miyagawa in
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