June 1987
Singapore's Newest Temple Inaugurated With a Flourish
Rajathurai, R.
Indian shops in Singapore are
concentrated in an area known as "Little India," and Serangoon Road has
become familiar to tourists as the "street of temples." There are three
temples on this road: Sri Veeramakaliamman, Sri Sreenivasa Perumaland the
Sri Vadapathirakaliamman. The Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple which was
recently rebuilt held its Maha Kumbhabhishekam on February 8.
This
temple is about 100 years old and was built by early Indian settlers who
had come to live in a foreign land. They brought their religion and
culture with them and warned to recreate in Singapore what they had been
accustomed to back home. Recently, the temple was completely rebuilt at a
cost of 2.5 million Singapore dollars. A prominent part of the new temple
is the Rajagopuram or entrance tower, an important feature of South Indian
temples.
The presiding deity of the temple is Veeramakaliamman, one
of the forms of Kali, who protects the virtuous and destroys the evil. Her
presence provided early immigrants a sense of security in a new land.
There are also 18 other deities in this Shakta temple including Sithi
Vinayagar, Balasubramaniyar, Visalakshi and the Nuvagrahangal (the nine
planets).
The first campaign to raise funds was launched in 1976,
and it has taken ten years to complete the project. Mr. K. Selvakumar
(31), son of the temple President, is credited with much of the
organization and planning for temple construction and Kumbhabhishekam
preparations. He whole-heartedly undertook the large and challenging task
and the result was a beautiful temple, built in the traditional style,
with detailed sculptural works. The statues, panels and freezes are
something unique in the art of temple building in Singapore.
The
Hindus of Singapore will enjoy this special place of worship. As for the
tourists-they will not have to go far to study a Hindu temple, there is
now one in the heart of "Little India."
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