Kapaleeshwarar Temple

The main attraction of Chennai is, of course, the ancient Kapaleeshwarar Temple: it is a tremendous beautiful structure that a tourist can’t miss. It is not only the main temple of Chennai but also a cultural center, where diverse events, holidays, and bright festivals take place regularly.

It isn’t yet known for sure when the Kapaleeshwarar Temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, was built. There is some evidence that the temple was already here in the 8th century. Some scientists have found such information in ancient hymns. But how it looked and how big and beautiful it was, is still a mystery. The descriptions of the temple and its current looks are dated to later ages: the 12th-16th centuries. This construction period is proved by the architectural details of this giant: an abundance of figures of gods, a huge number of interior chambers, bright colors in the inner decoration, inscriptions on the temple walls. The only thing that is known for sure is that the main tower crowning the eastern gates was built fairly recently, in 1906.

Today, the locals and pilgrims from other cities come to pray in the temple every day. Unlike many other Indian temples, tourists are accepted in the Kapaleeshwarar Temple but only at designated times when there are no religious ceremonies. So, the Kapaleeshwarar Temple provides a unique opportunity to enjoy Indian architecture not only from the outside but from the inside too.

There is a big artificial pond behind the temple. It is used in diverse ceremonies. There are many ritual statues and decorations around it which creates an incredibly lovely inner yard.

Interestingly, the temple isn’t only used by Hindus but by Muslims as well. Two religions coexist wonderfully under the roof of the Kapaleeshwarar Temple by simply differentiating the time for prayers and ceremonies. It may be possible that it is the only temple in the world which houses such an extraordinary symbiosis.