Kapaleeshwarar Temple
temple of Shivan (Kapaleeswarar) and a form of Shiva's consort Parvati called Karpagambal ("Goddess of the Wish-Yielding Tree"), located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
The Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. It is located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple was built around the 17th century A.D. and is an example of South Indian Architecture.
According to the Puranas, Parvati worshipped her husband Shiva in the form of a peahen (mayil in Tamil), giving the vernacular name Mylai (Mayilāi) to the area that developed around the temple. Shiva is worshiped as Kapaleeshwarar, and is represented by the lingam. Parvati is worshipped as Karpagambal (goddess of the wish-yielding tree). The presiding deity is revered in the 7th-century Tamil Shaiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars and classified as one of the Paadal Petra Sthalam.
The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Kapaleeshwarar 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.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Kapaleeshwarar Temple” as temple of Shivan (Kapaleeswarar) and a form of Shiva's consort Parvati called Karpagambal ("Goddess of the Wish-Yielding Tree"), located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as temple of Shivan (Kapaleeswarar) and a form of Shiva's consort Parvati called Karpagambal ("Goddess of the Wish-Yielding Tree"), located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1587164. Authority coordinates are 13.034, 80.270. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Kapaleeshwarar Temple”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Kapaleeshwarar Temple primary sources, Kapaleeshwarar Temple archive and Kapaleeshwarar research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Kapaleeshwarar Temple”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
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This entry incorporates text from “Kapaleeshwarar Temple” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.