| Kapaleeshwara Temple | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Chennai |
| Deity | Kapaleeshwarar (Shiva), Karpagambal (Parvati) |
| Location | |
| Location | Mylapore |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country |  India |
  | |
| Coordinates | 13°02′01″N80°16′12″E / 13.0337°N 80.2699°E /13.0337; 80.2699[1] |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian architecture |
| Elevation | 54 m (177 ft) |
TheKapaleeshwarar Temple is aHindu temple dedicated to the godShiva. It is located inMylapore,Chennai in theIndian state ofTamil Nadu. The temple was built around the 7th century CE and is an example ofSouth Indian Architecture.[1][2]
According to thePuranas,Parvati worshipped her husband Shiva in the form of apeahen (mayil inTamil), giving the vernacular nameMylai (Mayilāi) to the area that developed around the temple.[3] Shiva is worshiped as Kapaleeshwarar, and is represented by thelingam. Parvati is worshipped as Karpagambal (goddess of the wish-yielding tree). The presiding deity is revered in the 7th-century Tamil Shaiva canonical work, theTevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as theNayanars and classified as one of thePaadal Petra Sthalam.
The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and four yearly festivals on its calendar. TheAṟupatimūvar festival celebrated during the Tamil month ofPanguni as part of thebrahmotsava is the most prominent festival in the temple.
The temple is maintained and administered by theHindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of theGovernment of Tamil Nadu.[4]
The temple's name is derived from the wordskapala (head) andIshvara, an epithet of Shiva. According to thePuranas, during the meeting of the deities Brahma and Shiva at top ofMount Kailash, Brahma failed to show the due respect to Shiva. Due to this, Shiva plucked off one of the five heads (kapala) of Brahma. In an act of penance, Brahma came down to the site of Mylapore and installed alingam to please Shiva.[5] This place is known as Sukra Puri, Veda Puri, among many other names including "Kailaye Mayilai" and "Mayilaye Kayilai" (lit. 'Mylapore is Kailash'). According toregional legend, Shiva's consortParvati (Karpagambal), due to a curse became a pea-hen and did penance here to get back her original form. Her sonMurugan received the spear (vel) for the destruction of a demon from Parvati here. Brahma had worshipped here to get rid of his ego and get back his power to create. The four Vedas have worshipped here.Shukra worshipped Shiva here and got back his lost eye. The daughter of Sivanesa Chettiar Angam Poompavai, who died due to snake bite, was resurrected here by the powers of theNayanar saintSambandar.[2]Vayilar, another Nayanar saint, attained salvation here.[6]
The temple is generally thought to be built in the 7th century CE by the rulingPallavas.[7] This view is based on references to the temple in the hymns of the Nayanar saints. However, the Nayanar Sambandar and the saintArunagirinathar make clear reference to the Kapaleeshwarar temple being located by a seashore.[8] There are inscriptions dating back to 12th century inside the temple.[9] The temple's 120 ftgopuram[9] (gateway tower) was built during 1906 with stucco figures adorning it.[2][7] The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of theGovernment of Tamil Nadu.[10]
The Kapaleeshwarar temple is of typicalTamil architectural style, with thegopuram overpowering the street on which the temple sits. This temple is also a testimonial for thevishwakarmas sthapathis. There are two entrances to the temple marked by thegopuram on either side. The eastgopuram is about 40 m high, while the smaller western gopuram faces the sacredtank.[11]
Thevahanas ("vehicles") at the temple include thebull,adhikaranandi,elephant,bandicoot, peacock,goat andparrot, while a golden chariot is a recent addition. Statues of the presiding divine couple are seated on avahana or chariot which is brought in a procession around the temple while the temple band plays music. Devotees gather around thevahanas and consider it a privilege to pull / lift the deities on thevahana. There is also a peacock and a peahen caged inside the temple, to symbolize the tradition that Karpagambal had come in the form of peahen to plead to Kapaleeshwarar.
This temple is one of the Sapta Sthana Shiva temples in Mylapore area. (one of the seven sacred Shiva temples in Mylapore).[12] They are:
In addition to these "Sapta Sthana Shiva sthalas", theEkambareshwarar–Valluvar temple in the neighbourhood is traditionally considered the indispensable eighth.[13]
Thetheppakulam or the temple tank lies to the west of the temple. Known as theKapaleeshwarar Tank or theMylapore Tank, it is one of the oldest and well-maintained theppakulams in the city, measuring about 190 m in length and 143 m in breadth.[14] The tank has a storage capacity of 119,000 cubic metre and has water all through the year.[14] The 16-pillared, granite-roofed structure, known as themandapam at the centre of this tank is known for its significance during the three-day annual float festival, when idols of Kapaleeshwarar and other deities are taken around the tank to the chanting of Vedic hymns.[14]
In 2014,₹ 56.5 million was allotted to build a 2,150-meter-long pavement around the tank.[14]
The temple priests perform thepuja (rituals) on a daily basis and during festivals. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to theShaiva community. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 6:00 a.m., Kalasanthi at 9:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 1:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 9:00 p.m. There is a separate calendar for the Rahu Abhishekam (sacred ablution): it is performed twice in a day at 11:30 a.m and 5:30 p.m. and additionally twice at various times in the day. Each ritual comprises four steps:abhisheka (sacred bath),alangaram (decoration),neivethanam (food offering) anddeepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal. The worship is held amidst music withnadasvaram (pipe instrument) andtavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in theVedas (sacred text) read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals likesomavaram andsukravaram, fortnightly rituals likepradosham and monthly festivals likeamavasai (new moon day),kiruthigai,pournami (full moon day) andsathurthi.[8][15] During Friday worship, Karpagambal is decorated with akasu mala, a garland made of gold coins.
During the Tamil month ofPanguni, the traditionalBrahmotsavam (annual festival) takes place when the entire neighborhood comes alive with amela (carnival)-like atmosphere. Since this month corresponds to the mid-March to mid-April duration, the Kapaleeshwarar temple celebrates the nine day-long asPanguni Peruvila (Spring festival).[16] The festival starts withdhvajarohanam (flag hoisting), includes theterotsavam, (festival of chariot), Arupathimoovar festival and concludes with theTirukkalyanam (Marriage of Kapaleeshwararand Karpagambal). InBrahmotsavam, the idols of Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal are decorated with clothes and jewels, are mounted on avahana, and then taken around the temple and its water tank in apradakshinam (a clockwise path when seen from above). This is repeated with differentvahanas over the next nine days. The more important of the individualpradakshinams are theAthigara Nandhi on the third day, theRishaba Vahanam on the midnight of the fifth day, thether (about 13 meters in height and pulled by people) on the seventh morning, and theAṟupatimūvar festival on the eighth day.[17]
TheArupathimoovar festival is the most important procession.[7] It is named after the sixty-three Nayanar saints. All sixty-three Nayanar idols follow the Kapaleeshwarar idol on this procession. During the car festival, Kapaleeshwarar is depicted holding a bow while seated on a throne, with Karpagambal alongside.[18] Brahma is depicted as driving thether. The chariot is decorated with flowers and statues; there are huge gatherings of devotees to pull thether. The car festival of 1968 is documented in the documentary filmPhantom India byLouis Malle.[citation needed]
There is a reference to the temple inSangam literature of the 1st to 5th centuries and the earliest post-Sangam mention is found in the 6th centuryTamil literature. The temple and the deity were immortalized inTamil poetry in the works ofTevaram by poet saint belonging to the 7th century –Thirugnana Sambanthar has composed the 6thPoompavai pathigam in praise of the temple.[8]Arunagirinathar, a 15th-century poet, sings praise of the temple inTirumayilai Tirupugal. The 12th-century poet Gunaveera Pandithar sings about Neminathan underTheerthangar neminathar pugazh.[19]Tirumayilai Prabanthangal is a compilation of four works on the temple and the deity.[19]
In the temple there is a shrine for Sambanthar alongside Poombavai.
| Chennai |
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| Tirunelveli district | ||
| Vellore district | ||
