The Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple in Toa Payoh, established in the 1860s, is one of Singapore's oldest temples. It has been one of the four temples registered under the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) and its predecessor, the Mohammedan and Hindu Endowments Board (MHEB), since 1933.
Originally located near the junction of Killiney Road and Orchard Road, the temple was relocated due to the proposed construction of a railway line running from Tank Road to the Woodlands Causeway. It was temporarily moved to vacant land along Orchard Road but was again displaced by the railway. In 1921, land was acquired at 21 Somerset Road, and the temple was reconstructed there by MHEB in 1933, with a consecration ceremony held the same year.
The Somerset Road location was acquired for urban redevelopment, and the temple moved to its current site in Toa Payoh in 1982. Its first consecration ceremony at the new location was held in 1986. Under HEB’s initiative, the temple became the first institution in Singapore to offer Tamil and English classes at the preschool level through Saraswathy Kindergarten in 1990. Due to high demand, a full-fledged kindergarten was established at Kim Keat later that year.
The temple's Raja Gopuram (entrance tower) prominently features a statue of its main deity, Kaliamman. Its sanctums house deities including Kaliamman, Vinayagar, Murugan, Swamy Ayyappan, Guruvayurappan, Durgai Amman, Periachi Amman, Angala Parameswari, and Madurai Veeran.
Major festivals celebrated at the temple include Navakshri Homam, dedicated to Kaliamman’s nine forms, and Brahmotsavam, an annual festival involving temple renovation, kodiyettram, a ceremonial flag-raising ritual that marks the beginning of a major temple festival, and a chariot procession through Toa Payoh and surrounding areas. The temple also celebrates Makara Vilakku, an annual ritual symbolising the divine light, with support from the Singapore Malayalee Hindu Samajam.
For more information
“Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple.” Hindu Endowments Board. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://heb.org.sg/svkt/.
“Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple.” Roots.sg. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/landmarks/Toa-Payoh-Heritage-Trail----Of-Faiths-and-Beliefs/Sri-Vairavimada-Kaliamman-Temple.
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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.
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