This temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali, the Goddess of Power and the wife of Lord Shiva. The name “Veeramakaliamman” means the Courageous Mother Kali.
It is believed that this was the first temple in Singapore to venerate Kali. It was built as early as 1855 by Tamil labourers who worked at the lime kilns that lined Kampong Kapor in the mid to late 19th century. Because of this association with the lime kiln, this temple was originally called Sunnambu Kambam Kovil or the temple at the Lime Village. They built a shrine for Veeramakaliamman and by the late 19th century, a wooden temple had replaced the shrine. Over the years, the temple was renovated to what it is today.
The Gopuram or the tower over the entrance is better viewed from across the road. The tower, mounted with statues of various Hindu deities, is built so that it can be seen from a distance and enable Hindus to say their prayers from a distance. As in Buddhism, the lotus is commonly used in Hindu temple decorations as it is closely associated with many Hindu deities. eg. Vishnu holds a lotus in one hand and Lakshmi is seated on a lotus.
Kali temples built later include Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple also in Little India, the Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown, Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple in Toa Payoh and Sri Ruthrakaliamman Temple in Telok Blangah.