Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore – 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 Dwaja Rohanam (flag hoisting), includes Therottam, Arupathimoovar
festival and concludes with the Thirukalyanam (Marriage of Kapaleeshwarar &
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 Adhikara
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 Nayanmars 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.
The
temple's large water tank in front of the west gopuram is used to celebrate the
Float Festival, which is held in January or February. 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. The devotee crowd in the temple is usually
huge on New Moon and Full Moon days and Pradosha days. Some Shiva related festivals
are observed in the temple each month.