In the heart of Mylapore, one of Chennai’s oldest districts, the Kapaleeswarar temple is one of the great Śaiva sanctuaries of Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Śiva and his consort Karpagāmbāḷ, it blends a turbulent history, dazzling Dravidian architecture and fine legends.
A Pallava temple rebuilt by Vijayanagar
The original sanctuary dates from the Pallava era (7th–8th century). It then stood near the shore — around today’s San Thomé Cathedral — before being destroyed during the Portuguese presence. The kings of Vijayanagar rebuilt it in the 16th century a little further inland, at its present site.
Dravidian architecture
Its gopura — the tall pyramidal gateway of the east entrance — is a masterpiece of the Dravidian style: covered in hundreds of multicoloured stucco figures, it tells the whole of Hindu mythology and towers over the neighbourhood’s streets. A second gopura opens to the west, and a vast sacred tank (theppakulam), where the float festival takes place, adjoins the temple.
Two legends
The peacock of Mylapore
Under the old Punnai tree, a small shrine shows the goddess Pārvatī as a peacock (mayil) worshipping Śiva. It is from this legend that Mylapore takes its name: mayil, the peacock, and ūr, the town — “the town of the peacock”.
Kapāleśvara, the skull of Brahmā
The temple is dedicated to Śiva as Kapāleśvara (from kapāla, the skull). According to legend (Matsya Purāṇa, Bhāgavata Purāṇa), Śiva, furious at Brahmā’s disrespect towards his daughter Sarasvatī, cut off one of his five heads.
What to see in the temple
The temple holds magnificent sculptures, including the 63 Nayanmars — the Śaiva poet-saints — in bronze, lined up in a gallery. The shrine of the goddess Karpagāmbāḷ (“the goddess of the wish-fulfilling tree”) is much venerated. All around, shops sell flower garlands, coconuts, incense and devotional objects.
The Arubathimoovar festival
Each year, in March–April (the Tamil month of Panguni), the great Arubathimoovar festival honours the 63 Nayanmars: their statues, with that of Śiva, are paraded on a giant chariot (ratha) 12 metres high, pulled by a hundred ecstatic devotees around the sacred tank. It is one of the high points of Mylapore’s life.
Practical information
In Mylapore, south of central Chennai. Non-Hindus are welcome in the outer courtyards. Hours: 5–11 am and 4–9:30 pm · Tel.: 2494 1670.
