The Kapaleeshwarar temple is a Hindu temple located in Mylapore, Chennai, India. The original 8th century Shiva temple was built by the Pallavas and located on the shore but it was destroyed by the Portuguese and was re-built 300 years later.

The presiding deity of this temple is a form of Shiva called Kapaleeshwarar. The form of Shiva's wife Parvati at this temple is called Karpagambal (from the Tamil for "goddess of the wish-yielding tree"). Legend has it that Lord Shiva was once telling Lord Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, about the creation of the three lokas but Lord Brahma did not agree with what Shiva said. Shiva got angry and plucked out one of Brahma's four heads. Brahma begged for forgiveness and was asked to perform penance at Mayilai (Mylapore) and then he asked Lord Shiva to take the name of Kapaleeswarar.

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History

The age of the temple is the source of much debate.  The commonly held view is that the temple was built in the 7th century CE by the ruling Pallavas, based on references to the temple in the hymns of the Nayanmars (which however place it at the shore). Further, the architecture of the temple appears to be 300–400 years old.

The scholarly view that accounts for the discrepancies is that the original temple was built on the shore at the location of the current Santhome Cathedral but was destroyed by the Portuguese, and the current temple (which is 1-1.5 km from the shore) was built more recently. A small minority of people believe that the original temple was indeed on the beach, but that the sea has receded over centuries.

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Mythology

A legend associated with this temple is that Shiva's wife Parvati was distracted by a peacock and did not hear him call out to her. Annoyed, Shiva turned her into a peahen and sent her to earth. The peahen arrived at this temple and performed tapas (penance), and was eventually accepted again by Shiva. A temple was then built around the location of the peahen's tapas, and the place was named "Mayilapur" (Tamil: mayil: peacock, peahen; pur: generic place ending, like "-ville"), which was later anglicized to Mylapore.  The famous Saiva saint and poet Thirugnanasambandar turned the local

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The Temple Architecture

Architecturally, the temple is of typical Dravidian style with the gopuram overpowering the street on which the temple sits. There are two entrances to the temple marked by the gopuram on either side. The east gopuram is about 40m high, while the smaller western gopuram faces the sacred tank.

Shrines

Arulmigu Karpagambal sametha Arulmigu KapaleeswararThe temple has other shrines dedicated to Ganesha (a dancing form called Nardana Vinayakar) and Muruga (called Singara Velar), with his two consorts Valli and Deivayani. Smaller shrines are dedicated to other forms of Shiva (Annamalaiar, Sundareswarar and Jagatheswarar), Muruga (Palani Andavar) and others. In particular, there is a shrine with an image of a peahen, which is where Mylapore derives its name from.  Thirugnanasambandar, is said to have brought back to life the maiden Poompavai, daughter of Sivanesa Chettiar (a Siva devotee) who was desirous of marrying him, at Mylapore. The saint poet Tiruvalluvar lived here. The bronze idols of the 63 Nayanmars, the saints who were devotees of Lord Siva are placed in the Kapaleeswarar Sannadhi. Every year the Arupathumoovar festival is conducted & the 63 nayanmars are taken in procession.

Vahanas

The vahanas at the temple include the bull, elephant, bandicoot, peacock, goat and parrot among others, while a golden chariot is a recent addition.
 

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Daily Pujas

There are four daily pujas: the early morning puja, the day puja, the pradosha kaala puja and the night puja.

During the Tamil month of Panguni, the traditional Arupatthumoovar festival takes place when the entire neighbourhood comes alive with a mela-like atmosphere. In the month of Panguni in the Tamil calendar, corresponding with mid-March to mid-April, the Kapaleeshwarar temple celebrates the nine day-long Panguni Peruvizha (Spring festival). This festival involves a therotsavam (Tamil: "ther" - "chariot" and "utsavam" - "festival").
 

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Therotsavam or Chariot Festival

In this festival also called the Brahmotsavam, the idols of Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal are decorated with clothes and jewels, mounted on a vahanam (Sanskrit for "vehicle"), and then taken around the temple and its water tank in a pradakshinam (a clockwise orbit when seen from above). This is repeated with different vahanams over the next nine days.

In all the ten days of festival 'Panchamurthis' go grand procession in all four mada streets with drums and other traditional musical instruments playing before them. 'Panchamurthis' refer to Sri Vinayagar who always leads the procession followed by Sri Kapaleeshwarar the Lord, Sri Karpagaambal the Goddess, Lord subramanyar with his consorts and finally Sri Chandikeswarar who represents all the devotees. The procession is followed by vedins who chant four vedas and 'othuvaars' who sings Tamil thirumurais.

The more important of the individual pradakshinams are the 'Athigara Nandhi' on the third day, the 'Rishaba Vahanam' on the midnight of the fifth day, the real ther itself (about 13 meters in height, pulled by people) on the seventh morning, and the 'Arupathimoovar festival' on the eighth day. The latter is the most important procession. It is named after the 63 Nayanmars, and all 63 Nayanmar idols follow the Kapaleeshwarar idol on this procession.  Chettiyar's beautiful daughter Angampoompaavai from ashes back to life by singing songs.
 

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