Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple

In front of you is one of Singapore's oldest Hindu temples, dedicated to Kali. Its name can be translated as "Kali the courageous".

1The temple of the lime village

By around 1855 there was already a small shrine here. It was put up by labourers from India, who built a proper temple in 1881. Back then it was called Soonambu Kambam Kovil, "the temple of the lime village", because the area had kilns producing lime for building.

Serangoon Road was one of the oldest roads on the island, and the Indian quarter grew up around it. The men who worked in the cattle pens, the kilns and on the building sites found a protective goddess here.

2A fierce, protective goddess

Kali is the terrible form of the Great Goddess: she destroys evil and therefore protects those who call on her. Inside you'll see her wearing a necklace of skulls and tearing demons apart. Beside her, Parvati, her gentle face, is worshipped with her sons Ganesha and Murugan.

During the Japanese occupation, from 1942 to 1945, the temple took in more than twenty homeless people every night and fed them during the air raids.

It is a very lively temple. You'll see people going in barefoot, lighting oil lamps and breaking coconuts as offerings.

3What to look for

• The gateway tower, the gopuram, with its tiers of colourful figures.
• The images of Kali on the facade and along the wall.
• The garland stalls selling jasmine and marigold on the pavement.