Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple (Sri Kamadchi Ampal Tempel), Hamm

The temple website dates the Tamil Hindu centre to 1989 on Lange Strasse in Hamm. The City of Hamm says the temple has existed in Hamm since 1989 and moved to Hamm-Uentrop in 1997.

The foundation stone of the hall temple was laid in March 2000 and the temple was consecrated on 7 July 2002 (temple website). In February 2002 the Frankfurter Allgemeine reported, in a piece reprinted by Hinduism Today, that painters from India were due to colour the deities before an opening planned for July, and that city authorities had helped the group find the Uentrop site. It named the project leader as the priest Siva Sri Paskarakurukkal, a Tamil from Sri Lanka who moved to Germany in 1985.

Cost figures differ by source. The temple website gives about 1.5 to 1.7 million euros, the City of Hamm about 2 million euros, and the 2002 newspaper report almost 1.7 million US dollars. All say the money came from donations and loans from believers.

Architecture and sacred features

The temple's website names the architect as Heinz-Rainer Eichhorst, who followed the Kamakshi temple in Kanchipuram, South India. The City of Hamm describes a building of 27 x 27 metres with an entrance gopuram 17 metres high, about 700 square metres inside, and seven richly decorated shrines. The 2002 newspaper report described the hall as 88 feet square with red and white stripes outside, which matches the striped walls seen today.