Kapaleeswarar Temple, Chennai

About Kapaleeswarar Temple

Kapaleeswarar Temple is located in Malayapur, a suburb of Chennai. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. The name of this temple is derived from Kapalam and Ishwarar. The temple is in the Dravidian style and was established by the Pallava kings around the 7th century.

Kapaleshwar Mahadev Temple is considered to be the best temple after 12 Jyotirlingas. The present structure of the temple is more than 300 years old, which was built by the Vijayanagara kings in the sixteenth century.

Architecture of Kapaleeswarar Temple

This temple is another great piece of Dravidian art, but it is not the original structure of the temple which has been long gone or has been washed away. Even great historians are unable to determine the date of construction of the original temple building.

The present structure is over 300 years old, the temple has two entrances, one on the east and the other on the west side of the temple with colorful gopurams that cover the entire temple.

Interesting facts about Kapaleeswarar Temple

1. The vahanas in the temple include bull, Adhikaranandi, elephant, bandicoot, peacock, goat and parrot, while a golden chariot has recently been added. The idols of God and Goddess are seated on a vehicle or chariot which is brought in procession around the temple while the temple band plays music.
2. Devotees gather around the vehicle and consider it a privilege to drag/lift the Lord and the Goddess on the vehicle.
3. There is also a peacock and a peacock cage inside the temple, symbolizing the tradition that Karpagambal came in the form of a peacock to plead with Kapaleshwar.
4. The beauty of the grand temple can be seen with the main building of 70 feet which also includes two corridors surrounding the east.It is also worth noting the fact that due to the original temple being submerged in the sea it is a newly built temple.

How to reach Kapaleeswarar Temple