Sri Ruthra Kaliamman Temple

Sri Ruthra Kaliamman Temple, situated on Depot Road and dedicated to the Goddess Kali, is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Singapore, with a history dating back to 1913.

Initially, a small shrine was housed in a wooden structure on the Alexandra Brickworks grounds at Pasir Panjang Road (now the site of the Port of Singapore Authority building). The shrine was reportedly established by Lakshmana Nadar, an employee at Brickworks, in 1913. In 1923, with support from the Borneo Company, a subsidiary of Alexandra Brickworks, the wooden shrine was replaced by a brick building. The first known consecration ceremony took place in 1968, following the installation of granite statues of Sri Ruthra Kaliamman, Sri Sithi Vinayagar, and Sri Subramaniar.

In 1978, a new piece of land was acquired at the temple's current location on Depot Road. The new temple was completed and consecrated in 1983. It included a five-story building with ancillary facilities such as a multi-purpose hall, auditorium, library, and classrooms for tuition. In 2015, the temple underwent another upgrade and was re-consecrated. The enhancements included 50 new statues of Goddess Kali, handcrafted by artisans from India.

Since 1996, the Sri Ruthra Kaliamman Temple has been providing educational bursaries to underprivileged students, regardless of their race or language, from primary school to university level. Each year, 100 to 150 students benefit from this initiative.



For more information
Ruthra Kaliamman Temple. Accessed on 1 August 2025. http://ruthrakali.org/aboutus 
Zaccheus, Melody. “Thousands gather at consecration ceremony of Sri Ruthra Kaliamman Temple.” The Straits Times, 17 September 2015. https://str.sg/UTY2 

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.