Kapaleeshwarar Temple

Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva, in the Mylapore area of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was built around the 17th century and is an example of South Indian temple architecture.

The temple is known for its tall gopuram, the gateway tower at the entrance. The east gopuram was built in 1906 and is about 40 metres high, and it is covered with painted figures of gods. Shiva is worshipped here as Kapaleeshwarar, and his wife Parvati as Karpagambal, the goddess of the wish-yielding tree. The temple is also praised in the Tevaram, a 7th-century Tamil poem collection.

What is the legend?

Stories from the Puranas say Parvati once worshipped her husband Shiva in the form of a peahen, a female peacock. The Tamil word for peacock is mayil, which gave the area around the temple its name, Mylai or Mylapore.

The temple's name comes from kapala, meaning head, and Ishvara, a name for Shiva. In one story, Brahma lost one of his five heads to Shiva and came to Mylapore to set up a lingam as penance.

What goes on at the temple?

The temple complex has many shrines and halls. The main ones are for Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal. Six daily rituals take place between 5:30 in the morning and 10 at night.

There are four yearly festivals, and the biggest is the Arupathimoovar festival in the Tamil month of Panguni. The temple is looked after by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the government of Tamil Nadu.

On the globe

The model shows the temple complex with its tall tiered gateway tower; look for the many little painted figures on it.