Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore – History

Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore – History

Ptolemy, the Creek Geographer (A.D. 90-168) has referred to Mylapore in his books as ‘Malliarpa’. It was apparently a well-known sea port town with a flourishing trade. It must have also been a place of culture, as Saint, Thiruvalluvar the celebrated author of Thirukural, the World-famous ethical treatise, lived in Mylapore nearly 2,000 years ago. The Saivite Saints of the 7th Century, Saint Sambandar and Saint Appar, have sung about the Shrine in their hymns. St. Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus, is reported to have visited Mylapore in the 2nd Century A.D. His tomb is in the St. Thomas basilica, a beautiful Cathedral about half a mile from the temple. 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 Nayanmars (which, however, place it by a sea shore). Thirugnana Sambandar’s 6^th song in Poompavai Pathigam and Arunagiri Nathar's 697^th song in Thirumayilai Thirupugazh, make clear reference to the Kapaleeshwarar temple being located on the seashore in Mylapore. The scholarly view that accounts for the discrepancies is that the original temple was built on the shore but was destroyed by the Portuguese (present day Santhome church) in in A.D.1566 and the current temple (which is 1 – 1.5 km from the shore) was built by the Vijayanagar kings during the 16^th century, using some remains of the old temple. 

There are some fragmentary inscriptions from the old temple, still found in the present Shrine and in St. Thomas Cathedral. The existing structure of the temple is only 300 years old. According to the temple authorities, the old Kapaleeshwarar Temple was in Santhome Beach, which was destroyed by the Portuguese. 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 Tamilnadu.