Kapaleeswarar Temple

The Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, Chennai is a very ancient temple. The original temple was submerged under the sea & the current temple structure was a later construction.The twin temples Kapaleeswara & karpagambal enshrining a big Shiva Linga in the big shrine and a black granite icon of mother Pravathi in the other lie side by side and they are adorned with many sculptural Adornments of high order.

The icons of Durga, Subramanya , Ganapathi, Navagrahas Nayanmars and other adorable deities are accommodated in and out of the main temples. The courtyards are vast, and the beautiful tall towers are abundantly embellished with many puranic figures. The tank that lies just opposite the eastern tower, called Kapali is fairly big, and heightensthe sanctity of the tirukkovil and the dignity of the locality. The Deities of Vinayaka, Saneswar Bhagavan and many adorable lingas installed in individual mini shrines are attractions of this holy shrine. On the western side of the temple in the outer court yard is the Flag-mast called Dwajastambam, and the Bali Peetham where one must stay for a minute and take a vow to be pure before entering the halls containing the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Kapaleeswara and his Sakthi Karpagambal. After worshipping the Nandi bull or pasu, symbolic of the soul which is set steadfastly looking at the Lord one enters the inner enclosure or prakara, around the Sanctum sanctorum of the Lord shiva. Bowing in reverence before the Lord who is in the Form a lingam, one goes round the inner circuit and worships all the other deities, beginning from the beautiful Nataraja Shiva in the pose of cosmic dance.

All round in the niches would be found Durga (aspect of Sakthi), Brahma (god of creation), Vishnu (god of protection), Lingaotbhava (symbol of the supreme, above Brahma and Vishnu) dakshinamurthi (Siva as yogic teacher) and Ganesa (symbol of the mystic syllable OM). At the outer periphery would be found the 63 Nayanmars (canonized Saints) and other attendant deities. At the end of the circuit would be found the beautiful bronze images of Soma Skanda (Lord consort and son). Chandra Sekhara (Lord wearing the moon on His braid) and Goddess Karpagambal (or Karpagavalli as sometimes called).

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