![sri mariamman temple sri mariamman temple](https://previews.123rf.com/images/tktktk/tktktk1901/tktktk190100422/116521682-sri-mariamman-temple-singapore.jpg)
The Resident, Major William Farquhar then offered an alternative site near the Bras Basah stream (the present Stamford Canal). The first site offered by the government for the Temple was in Telok Ayer Street but there was no fresh water close to the site. In early 1823 Naraina Pillay obtained the present site to build the Sri Marimman Temple in South Bridge Road. Later, he asked a few carpenters, brick-layers and cloth merchants from Penang to come to Singapore to join him one such merchant was Viahpoory. He had a shop in Commercial Square (Raffles Place). This is clear evidence of Raffles' concern for the Tamil pioneer who became one again a wealthy merchant. Raffles helped Naraina Pillay to restore his fortunes. A tragedy hit Naraina Pillay when fire burnt his shop and he went bankrupt in 1822. Naraina Pillay opened a shop to sell cotton piece goods which were in great demand in Singapore. Jane Beamish and Jane Ferguson in their book 'A History of Singapore Architecture' write: 'Pillay started the first Singapore brick company, an operation that was to make him not only rich but a fundamental contributor to the history of Singapore's early architecture'. He set up the first kiln in Singapore to bake bricks and also became the first building contractor in the Settlement. He became a business man with all the qualities of a leader and pioneer he had his finger in so many pies. Soon after his arrival in Singapore, Naraina Pillay established himself in Singapore.
![sri mariamman temple sri mariamman temple](https://a.cdn-hotels.com/gdcs/production9/d1942/82637dc1-3e6b-4426-98e9-363d80709ccc.jpg)
Raffles must have found Naraina Pillay a dependable, honest and versatile person that he selected him to accompany him during his second visit to Singapore in May 1819. Naraina Pillay was a government clerk in Penang and would have come to the attention of Stamford Raffles who was in 1805 the assistant secretary to the Governor of Penang which was founded by the East India Company in 1786. Gazetted as a national monument on 6 July 1973 Sri Mariamman (Rain maker) Mother Goddess, Protective deity the Temple centre of early South Indians to sustain their identity, culture and heritage. First Indian and Tamil Pioneer Of Singapore accompanied Stamford Raffles in 1819 the first brick maker And building contractor of Singapore The earliest Indian community leader Of Singapore.