For the devout, this temple, with its grand Arubathumoovar festival, is the abode of Lord Kapaleeswarar and Devi Karpagambal, the presiding deities of Mylapore. For tourists from outside the country, it is a place of marvel with guides explaining stories of Shiva and Vishnu.
The Kapaleeswarar temple, which has been rebuilt several times, existed in the 7th Century when Thirugnanasambandar and Appar visited it and sang hymns. Temple enthusiast Padmapriya Baskaran explains that this is one of the Sapthasthana temples in the city, which means it is one of the temples where the Saptha Rishis worshipped.
The Lord is called Poompavai Eswarar to commemorate the resurrection of the girl by Thirugnanasambandar by singing a ‘pathigam’, in which he describes all the festivals of this temple, including the Arubathumoovar when the idols of 63 Saivite saints are taken out in procession. “These are very ancient festivals, and they continue to be celebrated even today with the same fervour.”
Inside the temple, there is a shrine for Lord Punnaivananathar where Goddess Parvathy is said to have meditated upon the Lord in the form a peacock, which is the reason for the name of the place — Mylapore (‘Mayil’ is the Tamil word for peacock). The shrine is located in the outer ‘prakaram’ and is under the ‘punnai’ tree, she notes.
Lord Muruga, who has a separate shrine inside the temple, was instructed by Lord Shiva to worship Him at Mylapore, and acquire a Shakthi vel in order to kill Soorapadma, an asura. So, He worshipped and acquired the vel and Parvathy gave Him the name Singaravelar. They advised Him to worship Ganesha who danced with joy on seeing His brother, so the Ganesha here is called the Koothadum Ganapathy, Ms. Baskaran adds.
The well-maintained temple, with its tall and colourful gopuram, a large tank in which the annual ‘Theppothsavam’ (the float festival) is held and the bustling market around it, gets visitors all round the year.
Pleasant weather
As part of the 5-hour-long Chennai City Tour, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) brings tourists to the temple. V.D. Madhan Rao, a guide of over 20 years with the TTDC, says foreign tourists, mostly from France and Japan, visit the city from November 15 to February 15 when the weather is pleasant.
“It takes us about 40 minutes to take a tour of the temple. They are amazed by the size and idols on the gopuram, and the mythological stories associated with them. Many of them also ask questions about Hinduism and we explain the basics. We take them around the outer ‘prakaram’ where they get to see deities, including Ganesha, Murugan, Nandhikeshwara, Lingodbhavar and Chandikeshwara,” he said.
When tourists from other parts of the country come in, they are told about the difference in the way of worship between temples in the south and the north. “We usually avoid crowded times. But if there are guests, we take permission from the temple office and ensure that they are properly taken care of,” he says.
The temple, which is steeped in tradition, has withstood the test of time and has embraced the present. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department has drawn up a master plan to improve parking and construct a larger library and spaces for small functions.
“Already the temple has two wedding halls. The old one was renovated recently. The temple organises a grand Maha Sivarathri festival every year. Our aim is to create more facilities for devotees,” said HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekarbabu.
