Kapaleeshwarar Temple

Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to lord Shiva located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The form of Shiva's consort Parvati worshipped at this temple is called Karpagambal is from Tamil ("Goddess of the Wish-Yielding Tree"). The temple was built around the 7th century CE and is an example of Dravidian architecture.
According to the Puranas, Shakti worshipped Shiva in the form of a peacock, giving the vernacular name "Mylai" () to the area that developed around the temple - "mayil" is Tamil for "peacock". Shiva is worshiped as Kapaleeswarar, and is represented by the "lingam". His consort Parvati is depicted as Karpagambal. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the "Tevaram", written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars and classified as "Paadal Petra Sthalam".
The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Kapaleeswarar 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. The Arubathimoovar festival celebrated during the Tamil month of "Panguni" as part of the ப்ரஹ்மோத்சவம் is the most prominent festival in the temple. 
The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Legend.
The temple's name is derived from the words "kapāla" (head) and "Īśvara" an alias of lord Shiva. According to the Puranas, during the meeting of Brahma and Shiva at top of Mount Kailash Brahma failed to show the due respect to Shiva. Due to this, Shiva plucked of one of Brahma's heads ("kapalams"). In an act of penance, Brahma came down to the site of Mylapore and installed a Lingam to please Shiva. This place is known as Sukra Puri, Veda Puri, among many other names including "Kailaye Mayilai and Mayilaye Kayilai "which means this place is equal to kailash. Goddess Karpagambal, a form of Shiva's consort Parvati, due to a curse became a pea-hen and did penance here to get back her original personality. Shiva's son Murugan received the spear (Sakthi 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. Sukracharya worshipped the Lord here and got back his lost eye. Rama has worshipped here and won the war against Ravana and brought back Sita from Lanka. The daughter of Sivanesa Chettiar Angam Poompavai got her lost life due to snake bite was later resurrected here by the powers of Thirugnana Sambandar. Vayilar Nayanar, a saiva saint, attained salvation here and Mylapore is also the birth place of Thiruvalluvar who wrote the Thirukkural. In Thevaram special mention is made about the beautiful Madaveedhi as "Malgun Mathri Thavazhum Maada Veedhi Mylappil Ullar". Thiruganana Sambandar, Arunagirinathar have sung the glory of Karpagambal, Singara Velar. The 10-day festival during March / April is a treat to watch and Arubathu Moovar festival is attended by lakhs of devotees every year.
History.
The commonly held view is that the temple was built in the 7th century CE by the ruling Pallavas. This view is based on references to the temple in the hymns of the Nayanars (which, however, place it by a sea shore). Thirugnanasambandar's 6th song in Poompavaipathikam and Arunagirinathar's 697th song in Thirumylai Thirupugazh, make clear reference to the Kapaleeswarar temple being located by a seashore. There are inscriptions dating back to 12th century inside the temple. The temple's 120 ft "gopuram" (gateway tower) was built during 1906 with stucco figures adorning it. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The Temple.
The Kapaleeshwarar temple is of typical Dravidian architectural style, with the "gopuram" overpowering the street on which the temple sits. This temple is also a testimonial for the vishwakarmas sthapathis. There are two entrances to the temple marked by the "gopuram" on either side. The east "gopuram" is about 40 m high, while the smaller western gopuram faces the sacred tank.
The "vahana"s (Sanskrit for "vehicles") at the temple include the bull, Adhikaranandi, elephant, bandicoot, peacock, goat and parrot, while a golden chariot is a recent addition. Statues of the god and the goddess are seated on a "vahana" or chariot which is brought in a procession around the temple while the temple band plays music. Devotees gather around the "vahanas" and consider it a privilege to pull / lift the God and the Goddess on the "vahana". 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.
Religious practises.
The temple priests perform the "pooja" (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Shaivaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. 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) and "deepa aradanai" (waving of lamps) for both Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal. The worship is held amidst music with "nagaswaram" (pipe instrument) and "tavil" (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like ' and ', fortnightly rituals like "pradosham" and monthly festivals like "amavasai" (new moon day), "kiruthigai", "pournami" (full moon day) and "sathurthi". During Friday worship, the statue of the goddess Karpagambal is decorated with a "kaasu maala", a garland made of gold coins.
Festivals.
During the Tamil month of "Panguni", the traditional brahmotsavam (annual festival) takes place when the entire neighborhood comes alive with a "mela (carnival)"-like atmosphere. Since this month corresponds to the mid-March to mid-April duration, the Kapaleeshwarar temple celebrates the nine day-long as "Panguni Peruvizha" (Spring festival). The festival starts with "Dwajarohanam" (flag hoisting), includes the "therotsavam", (Tamil, "ther", "car/chariot"; "utsavam", "festival"), Arupathimoovar festival and concludes with the Tirukkalyanam (Marriage of Kapaleeswarar & Karpagambal). In "Brahmotsavam", the idols of Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal are decorated with clothes and jewels, are mounted on a "vahana", and then taken around the temple and its water tank in a "pradakshinam" (a clockwise path when seen from above). This is repeated with different "vahanas" over the next nine days. The more important of the individual "pradakshinams" are the "Athigara Nandhi" on the third day, the "Rishaba Vahanam" on the midnight of the fifth day, the "ther" (about 13 meters in height and pulled by people) on the seventh morning, and the "Arupathimoovar" festival on the eighth day.
The "Arupathimoovar" festival is the most important procession. It is named after the sixty-three "Nayanmar"s who have attained salvation by their love & devotion to the all-compassionate Lord Shiva. All sixty-three Nayanmar idols follow the Kapaleeshwarar idol on this procession. During the car festival, Kapaleeshwarar is depicted holding a bow while seated on a throne, with his wife Karpagambal alongside. Brahma is depicted riding the "ther". The chariot is decorated with flowers and statues, and there are huge gatherings of devotees to pull the "ther". The car festival of 1968 is documented in the documentary film "Phantom India" by Louis Malle.
Religious work and saints.
There is a reference to the temple in Sangam literature of the 1st to 5th centuries and the earliest mention is found in the 6th century Tamil literature. The temple and the deity were immortalized in Tamil poetry in the works of "Tevaram" by poet saint belonging to the 7th century - Thirugnana Sambanthar has composed te 6th "Poompavai pathigam" in praise of the temple. Arunagirinathar, a 15th-century poet, sings praise of the temple in "Tirumayilai Tirupugazh". The 12th-century poet Gunaveera Pandithar sings about Neminathan under "Theerthangar neminathar pugazh". "Tirumayilai Prabanthangal" is a compilation of four works on the temple and the deity.