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Book-A-Meeting

Singapore, Malaysia

Book-A-Meeting

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, also known earlier as Soonambu Kambam Kovil, stands as a significant Hindu temple in the middle of Little India in the southern part of Singapore. Its origins trace back to 1855, when it began as a modest shrine dedicated to the Hindu goddesses Kali and Parvati. It was n

ot until 1881 that a proper temple structure was erected, constructed by Bengali labourers, reflecting the community's devotion and labour. The temple's architecture follows the style of South Indian Tamil temples commonly found in Tamil Nadu, a deliberate contrast to the Northeastern Indian Kali temples of Bengal, where Kali worship is widespread but temple construction differs considerably. Within the temple, images of Kali depict her wearing a garland of skulls and ripping out the insides of demons, symbolizing her fierce protective power, while Parvati is shown sharing peaceful family moments with her sons Ganesha and Murugan. The temple played a vital role during the Japanese occupation of Singapore (1942–1945), serving as a refuge that sheltered over 20 vagrants nightly and provided them with food during Japanese air raids, highlighting its community importance in times of crisis. However, the temple faced controversy in 2018 when the Charities Commissioner barred its chairman Sivakadacham, former chairman R Selvaraju, and secretary Ratha Krishnan Selvakumar from their posts. The three, who were cheque signatories and approvers for payments, had issued more than $1.5 million

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