The Kapaleeswarar Temple’s name is derived from the words kapalam (head) and eswarar 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 Puranic names including ‘Kailaye Mayilai, Mayilaye Kayilai’.
Kapaleeswarar (Kapali) Temple in Mylapore is praised by Pey Azhwar, one of the twelve Azhwar Vaishnava saints of South India who was born in Mylapore in 5th millennium BCE (or is it 7th century CE as debated by scholars)
Second Stanza of Periazhwar Thirumozhi (circa 7th century), a lullaby for Lord Krishna, reads as follows:
This allows us to ascertain that Kapaleeswarar Temple had existed since 5th millennium BCE if Pey Azhwar being born in 5th millenium BCE is proved to be true (else it is for sure proven for its existence since 7th century CE). One of the earliest written mention of the four headed Brahma with Vishnu and Shiva is in the fifth Prapathaka (lesson) of the Maitrayaniya Upanishad, probably composed in late 1st millennium BCE. Hence, the Puranic legend of Kapaleeswarar Temple holds true to the timeline. The ten day Panguni festival of Mylapore was praised in Thirumurai hymns in the 7th century composed by Sambandar, was a young Saiva poet-saint. Bikshaadanar is the form of Siva as a mendicant with a bowl and as per Kapali’s Puranic legend, a bowl made of inverted Brahma’s skull. And only in at Kapaleeswarar Temple of Mylapore, is the Bikshaadanar festival celebrated during the ten day annual festival of Panguni Brahmotsavam alonside the unique festival of Arubathimoovar festival celebrating the 63 Nayanars.
Mylapore, Thy name is Kapaleeswara.
We will see detailed posts on the saints of Mylapore in future.
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