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Arulmigu Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore, Chennai -
The Temple
Sri Kapaleeshwarar temple was built in 7th century CE by the Pallavas. The original Kapaleeshwarar Temple was built where Santhome Church is located currently in Chennai. This original temple was demolished by the Portuguese and the present temple was built in the 16th century by the Vijayanagar Kings.
One of the sacred shrines in Tamil Nadu is Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, in Chennai City.It is a Siva Temple, and the name of the Lord is ARULMIGU KAPALEESWARAR. The name of the Goddess is ARULMIGU KARPAGAMBAL.It is a loverly temple with a Stately Spire or ‘Gopuram’ as it is called. There is a big tank on its West. The temple and the tank are surrounded by Broad streets on the four sides. The view of the temple and the tank is picturesque.
Mylapore is on the sea coast and the shore is away by half a mile of thickly populated residential area.
The name Mylapore is derived from the legend that the Goddess Uma worshipped Siva in the form of a peacock (or mayil in Tamil). We can see a representation of this legend on stone in a small Shrine under a Punnai tree (Sthala Vriksha) in the Courtyard of the temple.
Temple History:
Mother Uma wanted to know the full meaning of the five lettered Mantra – Na Ma Shi Va Ya – and the glory of the sacred ash. She begged Lord Shiva to teach Her on these topics. While Lord was teaching Her, Mother Uma was attracted by the beauty of a peacock dancing before Her. Lord, for Her inattention, cursed Her to become a peacock. For relief from the curse, He advised Her to go to Earth and perform penance on Him. Mother Uma worshipped the Shivalinga under the Punnai tree in this place. Moved by Her penance, Lord appeared before Her and and confirmed Her release from the curse and named Her Karpagavalli. As requested by Mother Karpagavalli, Lord approved the name of the place Mayilai-now Mylapore.
The Legend Behind The Temple
Mother Uma performed penance here on Lord taking the form of a peacock. Lord Muruga got His Sakthivel from Lord. Lord Brahmma got back His creation job with blessings of Lord here shedding His pride. Vedas worshipped Lord Kapaleeswara, hence the place is known as Vedapuri. It is also known as Shukrapuri as planet Shukra-Venus worshipped Lord here. Lord Sri Rama stayed here, performed pujas to Lord Shiva with festivals. The is the holy soil where Poompavail was restored to life from her preserved bones, a miracle by saint Tirugnana Sambandar. Saint Arunagiriar has sung the glory of Lord Singaravela – Muruga in his famous Tirupugazh. Adding to the reputation of the land, this is birth place of Tiruvalluvar whose Tirukkural is honoured with translations in many advanced languages of the world.
Thalami, a researcher from Greece, visited this place 2000 years ago and had mentioned the name of the place as Malliarpa. This was the habitat of peacocks. As they made sounds – Arpu in Tamil – the place was known as Mayil (peacock) – Arpu, changed as Mayilappu and finally stayed with the name Mylapore.
Lord Brahmma thought that He was as great and equal as Lord Shiva as He too had five heads as Shiva. To teach Him a lesson and to check His pride. Lord Shiva nipped one head and held the skull in His hand. Kapala in Sanskrit means skull, hence Lord Shiva was praised as Kapaleeshwara and the place KAPALEESHWARAM.
The first piece of literature on this holy soil was the song of Saint Tirugnana Sambandar beginning with the line ‘Mattitta Punnayam Kanal’. These are the lines that brought Poompavai, daughter Sivanesar back to life who died of snake bite while plucking flowers for Shiva Puja. After cremating her body, Sivanesar preserved the bones and ashes in a pot. After the visit of Sambandar to the place, as required by the Saint Sivanesar placed the ash-bone pot before him.
One of such songs addressed to Poompavai then in ash pot said that by her death she was the loser missing the Thai Poosam festival dedicated to Lord Shiva. The girl came alive after this song. However, Sambandar could not accept Poompavai for his wife as requested by the father, as he himself had now become her father by restoring her to life back. Poompavai spent the rest of her life as a virgin serving Lord Shiva and attained salvation then.
Before waging His war on demon Surapanma, Lord Muruga performed penance in this temple. Lord Shiva and Mother Uma blessed the Son and gifted the weapon VEL to conquer the demon. Muruga returned triumphantly as Singaravela on the demon peacock – demon Surapanma was changed a peacock vahan of Muruga. Indira gave his daughter Deivanai to Lord Muruga in marriage. Iravadham elephant belonging to Indira could not bear the separation of Deivanai and chose to stay with her. Both consorts of Lord Muruga, Valli and Deivanai grant darshan to devotees sitting on Iravadham. This is a rare darshan.
Each Poornima-full moon day is a day of special pujas to Lord and Mother. As the divine Karpaga tree offers all wishes to a devotee, Mother Ambica offers all that Her devotees wish, hence praised as Karpakambika. All the 63 Nayanmars-Shiva devotees- come in procession during the Panguni Uthiram festival in March-April.
Singers:
Great Saivite Saints Tirugnana Sambandar, Tirunavukkarasar and Sundarar had sung the glory of Lord Kapaleeswara in their Thevaram hymns. This is the 24th Shiva temple in Thondai Nadu-Nadunadu region praised in Thevaram hymns.The temple is closely associated with the history of Saint Tirugnana Sambandar who restored Poompavai to life from the bones and ashes preserved by her father Sivanesar. The father was intending to give his daughter to the saint in marriage. But fate had it that she died of snake bite. Yet, the father preserved her bones in a pot to be handed over to the child saint when he visited the place. Sambandar did visit the place. Narrating his sad story, he placed the pot before the saint. Sambandar sang a pathigam-10 verses, beginning with the line, ‘Mattitta Punnai’ listing the various festivals of Lord Shiva in the first three lines asking her in the final line, how she could miss the festivals dedicated to Lord Shiva. The pot broke off and Poompavai came alive in her full beautiful form. His joy knowing no bounds, the father asked the saint to accept his daughter. Sambandar told him that he had now become her father as he gave her life again and could see her only as a daughter. Poompavai spent the rest of her life alone praying to Lord Shiva attaining salvation in the end.
To Be Continued
OM NAMA SHIVAYA
http://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=628
http://kapaleeswarartemple.com/
http://www.mylaikapaleeswarar.tnhrce.in/
The Temple
Sri Kapaleeshwarar temple was built in 7th century CE by the Pallavas. The original Kapaleeshwarar Temple was built where Santhome Church is located currently in Chennai. This original temple was demolished by the Portuguese and the present temple was built in the 16th century by the Vijayanagar Kings.
One of the sacred shrines in Tamil Nadu is Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, in Chennai City.It is a Siva Temple, and the name of the Lord is ARULMIGU KAPALEESWARAR. The name of the Goddess is ARULMIGU KARPAGAMBAL.It is a loverly temple with a Stately Spire or ‘Gopuram’ as it is called. There is a big tank on its West. The temple and the tank are surrounded by Broad streets on the four sides. The view of the temple and the tank is picturesque.
Mylapore is on the sea coast and the shore is away by half a mile of thickly populated residential area.
The name Mylapore is derived from the legend that the Goddess Uma worshipped Siva in the form of a peacock (or mayil in Tamil). We can see a representation of this legend on stone in a small Shrine under a Punnai tree (Sthala Vriksha) in the Courtyard of the temple.
Temple History:
Mother Uma wanted to know the full meaning of the five lettered Mantra – Na Ma Shi Va Ya – and the glory of the sacred ash. She begged Lord Shiva to teach Her on these topics. While Lord was teaching Her, Mother Uma was attracted by the beauty of a peacock dancing before Her. Lord, for Her inattention, cursed Her to become a peacock. For relief from the curse, He advised Her to go to Earth and perform penance on Him. Mother Uma worshipped the Shivalinga under the Punnai tree in this place. Moved by Her penance, Lord appeared before Her and and confirmed Her release from the curse and named Her Karpagavalli. As requested by Mother Karpagavalli, Lord approved the name of the place Mayilai-now Mylapore.
The Legend Behind The Temple
Mother Uma performed penance here on Lord taking the form of a peacock. Lord Muruga got His Sakthivel from Lord. Lord Brahmma got back His creation job with blessings of Lord here shedding His pride. Vedas worshipped Lord Kapaleeswara, hence the place is known as Vedapuri. It is also known as Shukrapuri as planet Shukra-Venus worshipped Lord here. Lord Sri Rama stayed here, performed pujas to Lord Shiva with festivals. The is the holy soil where Poompavail was restored to life from her preserved bones, a miracle by saint Tirugnana Sambandar. Saint Arunagiriar has sung the glory of Lord Singaravela – Muruga in his famous Tirupugazh. Adding to the reputation of the land, this is birth place of Tiruvalluvar whose Tirukkural is honoured with translations in many advanced languages of the world.
Thalami, a researcher from Greece, visited this place 2000 years ago and had mentioned the name of the place as Malliarpa. This was the habitat of peacocks. As they made sounds – Arpu in Tamil – the place was known as Mayil (peacock) – Arpu, changed as Mayilappu and finally stayed with the name Mylapore.
Lord Brahmma thought that He was as great and equal as Lord Shiva as He too had five heads as Shiva. To teach Him a lesson and to check His pride. Lord Shiva nipped one head and held the skull in His hand. Kapala in Sanskrit means skull, hence Lord Shiva was praised as Kapaleeshwara and the place KAPALEESHWARAM.
The first piece of literature on this holy soil was the song of Saint Tirugnana Sambandar beginning with the line ‘Mattitta Punnayam Kanal’. These are the lines that brought Poompavai, daughter Sivanesar back to life who died of snake bite while plucking flowers for Shiva Puja. After cremating her body, Sivanesar preserved the bones and ashes in a pot. After the visit of Sambandar to the place, as required by the Saint Sivanesar placed the ash-bone pot before him.
One of such songs addressed to Poompavai then in ash pot said that by her death she was the loser missing the Thai Poosam festival dedicated to Lord Shiva. The girl came alive after this song. However, Sambandar could not accept Poompavai for his wife as requested by the father, as he himself had now become her father by restoring her to life back. Poompavai spent the rest of her life as a virgin serving Lord Shiva and attained salvation then.
Before waging His war on demon Surapanma, Lord Muruga performed penance in this temple. Lord Shiva and Mother Uma blessed the Son and gifted the weapon VEL to conquer the demon. Muruga returned triumphantly as Singaravela on the demon peacock – demon Surapanma was changed a peacock vahan of Muruga. Indira gave his daughter Deivanai to Lord Muruga in marriage. Iravadham elephant belonging to Indira could not bear the separation of Deivanai and chose to stay with her. Both consorts of Lord Muruga, Valli and Deivanai grant darshan to devotees sitting on Iravadham. This is a rare darshan.
Each Poornima-full moon day is a day of special pujas to Lord and Mother. As the divine Karpaga tree offers all wishes to a devotee, Mother Ambica offers all that Her devotees wish, hence praised as Karpakambika. All the 63 Nayanmars-Shiva devotees- come in procession during the Panguni Uthiram festival in March-April.
Singers:
Great Saivite Saints Tirugnana Sambandar, Tirunavukkarasar and Sundarar had sung the glory of Lord Kapaleeswara in their Thevaram hymns. This is the 24th Shiva temple in Thondai Nadu-Nadunadu region praised in Thevaram hymns.The temple is closely associated with the history of Saint Tirugnana Sambandar who restored Poompavai to life from the bones and ashes preserved by her father Sivanesar. The father was intending to give his daughter to the saint in marriage. But fate had it that she died of snake bite. Yet, the father preserved her bones in a pot to be handed over to the child saint when he visited the place. Sambandar did visit the place. Narrating his sad story, he placed the pot before the saint. Sambandar sang a pathigam-10 verses, beginning with the line, ‘Mattitta Punnai’ listing the various festivals of Lord Shiva in the first three lines asking her in the final line, how she could miss the festivals dedicated to Lord Shiva. The pot broke off and Poompavai came alive in her full beautiful form. His joy knowing no bounds, the father asked the saint to accept his daughter. Sambandar told him that he had now become her father as he gave her life again and could see her only as a daughter. Poompavai spent the rest of her life alone praying to Lord Shiva attaining salvation in the end.
To Be Continued
OM NAMA SHIVAYA
http://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=628
http://kapaleeswarartemple.com/
http://www.mylaikapaleeswarar.tnhrce.in/
Last edited:
