Dissertation

A DISSERTATION
Submitted by
SOWJANYA SURESH
In partial fulfilment of the requirements
For the award of the degree
Of
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
Under
FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
In
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING

ANNA UNIVERSITY
CHENNAI 600 025
April 2014

DECLARATION
I declare that this dissertation entitled “Study of Cultural heritage with
respect to Mylapore ” is the result of my work and prepared by me under the
guidance of AR. PRAMOD BALAKRISHNAN and that it has not formed the basis
for the award of any degree, diploma, associate ship or fellowship of any other
University or Institute previously. Due acknowledgement have been made
wherever anything has been borrowed from other sources.
Date: 09.04.2014 Signature of Candidate
Name & Roll No:2010701548 SOWJANYA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Ar. Pramod
Balakrishnan , for his excellent guidance , patience, and providing me with an
excellent atmosphere for doing this study.

ABSTRACT
The spaces outside a house, the pavement of the street, the corner around the
street , the wide footpath around the corner- the everyday spaces , spaces in
which life is enacted everyday , the life of a child going to and from school , of the
person selling vegetables and the people buying them , women rushing to the
temple for their morning prayers, cleaning their homes and adorning them with
kolams, the vibrant morning subrabatham that plays at every home on the street.
The outdoor spaces is not limited to designated open spaces, but it is spread over
every bit of space that can be occupied according to the need and convenience.
The use of these spaces is not restricted to recreational use, but also includes
everyday activites of requirement across a section of people
“life between buildings is richer, more stimulating and more rewarding than any
combination of architectural ideas”
After all, the way people occupy spaces makes place. Sometimes this occurs even
without absolutely any conductive physical elements. Human beings also have an
innovative ways of appropriating existing spaces surfaces and objects. Existance
and action both generate spatiality; sometimes to an extend of transforming a
seemingly left over space to positive interesting ones.usage of spaces is context
(historical cultural), place (connectivity , landuse) and people ( gender, age and
community) specific.
Public Spaces form a major part of the society, temples and spaces around the
temple have interesting spaces , the quality of these spaces are absent in todays

urbanized buildings. The journey through these heritage buildings become an
experience unlike malls in today‟s cities where the journey is restricted, where you
know where you will get to, but spaces like streets and the life here has something
to be discovered, A story to tell. In this paper I have studied mylapore as a area
and the way it got transformed as we see it today.
The interesting spaces in and around the temple.

CONTENTS
Introduction
Madras the gracious city 1
Mylapore A history 3
Study Areas around Mylapore 21
The Temple tank 22
The existing issues with the temple tank 37
Kapaleeshwarar Temple a look back 42
Kapaleeshwarar temple now and then a comparative study 57
The streets and in-between spaces 61
The Culture and festivals 79

INTRODUCTION
Mylapore was well known as MAYILAI, MAYILAPPIL, TIRUMAYILAPURI,
TIRUMAYILAI, THOLMAYILAPURI, AND MAYILAPUR. It is at this point of history,
in the 13”„ century that Marco Polo visited Mylapore and mentioned it as a
landscape of peacocks (mayil). The east coast of South India began attracting
many travelers from this time and each one of them has mentioned Mylapore as
MYROPOLIS, MAYILAPURA and so on. The most significant notice of medieval
times undoubtedly is that of the great poet and saint of the 15”„ century,
Arunagirinathar who has sung of his favorite deity Singara Velan in MAYILAI in ten
of his Tiruppugazh hymns in a genre of poetry known as „Chandam‟.
Within the l7„“ century, the „temple was built on its present site, prominent literary
notices of the Kapali temple and Mayilai became frequent. Both known and
unknown poets, seers, composers, and others found lasting inspiration in this
shrine and poured out their Bhakti in Verses and songs. To trace the myth and
mysticism of Kapaliswara and Karpakambal these authors used genres like the
„Ula‟, „Kalambakam‟, „Andhadhi‟, „Padhigam‟, etc. The Ula even mentions the
names of the builders of the modern temple as „Muthiappan‟ and his father
„Nainiappan‟.
The heydays of ancient Mylapore were during the Pallava dynasty‟s zenith, as a
seaport of considerable significance. mylapore and Mamallapuram were the two
important ports of the time. The treatise Nandikalambakam testifies that much sea
trade was carried on in this port. The king of the time, Nandivaraman III was
known as Mallaivendan. It is believed that the image of Jyeshtalakshmi, the

goddess of misfortune on the northwestern corner of the temple tank belongs to
the Pallava period.
Kapaliswara temple of Mylapore is one of the most ancient Shiva temples in South
India. This temple is a delightful introduction to Dravidian temple sculpture and
architecture.
According to the census report on Temples of Madras State the original temple on
the coast was demolished by the Portuguese in the 16"„ century and the present
temple was built by one Muthiah Mudaliar son of Nainiappan Mudaliar. From stone
inscriptions belonging to the 12"„ and 13”„ centuries found within the temple and in
other temples of Madras, we can infer that the present temple was re-built with
stones from the original structure. There is one View at present that the temple
may not have been moved at all, and that, on the other hand, the sea may have
receded over many centuries. Some scholars seem to think that as the temple
may have been over-run by the sea, leaving behind only an oral history. Whatever
be the facts, to-day the Mylapore Kapaliswara temple is prominently placed in the
spiritual heritage map of India. There is an old Tamil saying: “koyil illa ooril kudi
irukka vendam” - none should live in a place without a temple. For, the temple
radiates a divine atmosphere, which elevates the spiritual strength of those who
live in its vicinity. Certainly, the Kapaliswara temple has such a power to influence
people not only around it but beyond as well.
This study is about the this historical temple and how it has changed over a period
of time , the spaces around the temple and the cultural heritage it has.

MADRAS THE GRACIOUS CITY
It was to the shores of Coromandel that they came from Araby and Cathay,
ancient the Greece and Rome. They came in search of textiles and rice, indigo
and teak, sandalwood and rosewood, pearls and diamonds, pepper and cloves,
iron and corundum, peacocks and elephants. And it was from this southeastern
coast that the culture of India went to the islands of the East and the lands of the
Menam and the Mekong. This is a coast of history. Coromandel‟s niche in the
archives of the world secure for all time.

The coromandel coast
It is a long coast, this fabled shoreline of kari manal, its occasional black sands
responsible for its corruption in English, Coromandel. About 1250 kilometres long,
its shores north of the Godavari delta are called in later history the Golconda
Coast and the 750 kilometres south of it the Coromandel. This southern stretch,
much of it ruled for centuries by the Chola kingdom whose origins were not far
from the southernmost reaches of this coast, is also the coast of Cholamandal.
Coromandel or Cholamandal, its own prosperity and its contribution to many lands
across the seas are achievements accomplished in the face of nature's
inhospitality. A flat and sandy coast lashed by the surf of the Bay of Bengal and
whipped by its treacherous currents, the shores of Coromandel are also wracked
by cyclones and are regularly broken up by the mouths of shallow rivers that seem
to be perpetually blocked by sandbanks. No wonder a great harbour-builder of a
more recent era looked back with pride on his achievement as ”a challenge
flaunted in the face of nature”.
With not a natural harbour in sight, no one port on this coast developed a
dominant role. In fact, that heavy ships had to anchor out in the open in the roads
and load and unload their cargo from or into the flat-bottomed masula boats that
dared the elements and then beached on the shore, a passenger and cargo-
handling procedure requiring minimum facilities but a strong heart and a

willingness to risk all, led to a constantly shifting importance among the ports of
the Coromandel.
MYLAPORE A HARBOUR IN THE PALLAVA AND CHOLA TIMES
In the days of the Pallavas and the Cholas, who dominated the Coromandel from
the 6th to the 13th centuries, the ports of Poohar and Korkai, Puduchcheri and
Devanampattinam, Mamallapuram and Mylapore were renowned harbours of
ancient lineage. But by the time the European powers reached Coromandel‟s
shores, it was a waning Vijayanagar empire that through its nayaks governed
these shores and their hinterland, Lacking the ambition of the Pallavas and the
Cholas, the rulers of the Vijayanagar empire in the 16 th century were content to
let a war-riven land survive as best it could on its traditions of trade and
commerce. It was a rich tradition that promised fortunes to all who dared. It was in
search of the wealth of the Indies that the Europeans followed the trade routes and
reached India. Vasco da Gama arrived on the Malabar coast in 1498,and the world
was never the same again. India and, more specifically, the Coromandel Coast
were what made the change.
PORTUGESE IN THE 16TH
CENTURY
With the Portuguese capture of Goa in 1510 and Alfonso de Albuquerque‟s
establishment of the new acquisition as the headquarters of Portuguese
possessions in India, the first signals of Western imperial aims were hoisted. The

Konkan and Malabar coasts in the west and the Fisheries coast in the east, that
pearl-rich coast from Point Calimere to Cape Comorin, soon came under
Portuguese influence. It wasn't long before the Portuguese established
themselves on the Coromandel coast and even further north, as far as the Bengal
delta It was Portugal's finest hour, the 16th century, as its admirals and marines,
soldiers, civilians and priests dominated both coasts of India. If Goa was to
become the ‟Lisbon of the East‟, San Thomé, its fort built in 1522, became the
pride of their possessions on the eastern coasts of India; To found it, the ancient
Pallava entrépot of Mylapore - ”the potent city, Meliapore/Named, in olden time

rich, vast and grand”, according to Camoens in the Portuguese 1572 epic, The
Lusiads - had to be pushed back from the shore.
It took the other European powers just a little less than a hundred years to convert
envy into action and follow the Portuguese to the trading ports of the Golconda
and Coromandel coasts. The scramble for the ports on the Choramandala of the
Portuguese, the Choromandal of the Dutch, and Cholamandalam, the fifth
province of the Vijayanagar Empire, began with a five- shilling price-rise on the
price of pepper by the Dutch. Twenty- four alarmed merchant-importers in London
retaliated in December 1599 by founding the East India Company
The Dutch were not slow to react; in 1602, the Dutch East India Company was
formed. The race for the wealth of the Indies was on. Settlements on the western
coasts of India yielded little profits for the Indiamen, but Coromandel beckoned.
And by 1608 the Dutch were trading from Devanampattinam and by 1612 had
begun to build Castle Geldria (completed in 1615) in Paleacat (Pulicat) to protect
and control their trading operations on the entire coast.
With the Portuguese almost a spent power on this coast, the good life having
taken its toll of soldier and administrator, trader and monk, the British were the
only power in the area able to challenge this Dutch claim to the trade of
Coromandel. John Company established in 1611 its first factory - in reality a
fortified warehouse - in Machilipatnam right next door to the Dutch. The second
settlement was established in Arumugam (Armagaon) in 1626, again next to the

Dutch. These were factories that were never going to thrive; the Dutch were too
well entrenched in the two areas, were well favourd by the local rulers and had not
a little military clout, to make that possible. The British had to find another, safer
settlement that offered them reasonable trading opportunities if they were not to be
wiped off the Coromandel coast as they had almost been on the western coast.
On July 22, 1639 (though a document or two also carries an August date),
Damarla Venkatadri Nayak of Wandiwash made this historic grant 1n anticipation
of trade, military protection and Persian horses from the British. On April 23, 1640,
St. George's Day, work was completed on the new factory - little more than a
fortified warehouse with living quarters - and it was named Fort $t. George after
the patron saint of England. Fort was to grow into the town of Madras and then
into the metropolis that is today the capital of Tamil Nadu, India's southernmost

state. But in those early years, as it grew, the men and women who lived and
served in it set in motion a chain of events that changed the world. For here was
an empire born the like of which the world had never seen and then, the revolt
against it, as astounding as the drive to empire had been, led to a world far, far
different from anything anyone might have imagined in the mid-17th century.
Village Year
Madraspatnam 1639
Narimedu (area to the west of Madraspatnam) 1645
Triplicane 1672
Tiruvottiyur 1708
Kottivakkam 1708
Nungambakkam 1708
Egmore 1720
Purasawalkam 1720
Tondiarpet 1720
Chintadripet 1735
Vepery 1742

Mylapore 1749
EARLYBEGINNINGS
Prior to colonisation by the British Empire, almost every South Indian ruling
dynasty had reigned over the region's villages and small towns. The first Western
arrivals in the Tamil Nadu region were the Portuguese in 1522, followed by the
Dutch in 1612. After the British settlement was established on the Bay of Bengal in
1640, the various local villages gradually became incorporated into a single area

that was officially renamed George Town, with the growing trading centre and its
British residents protected by its fort.
THE BRITISH RAJ
Briefly in 1746, the town was taken over by the French, only to be returned to
British control just three years later, following the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in
1748. Subsequently in the history of Chennai, extensive fortifications were
installed, ensuring no further interruptions of the East India Company's trade and
commerce. By the end of the 18th century, British influence had overtaken the
entire Tamil Nadu region and the Madras Presidency had been formed.
CHENNAI THE 19TH CENTURY
Massive development of Madras during the 19th century introduced drastic
changes, including a shipyard and base for the British Navy and the arrival of the
railway in the later part of the century. This linked the city with Bombay and
Calcutta, as well as the vast interior of the country, thus boosting its manufacturing
and trading sectors.

One important change in the 19th century was the founding in 1836 of the Madras
Chamber of Commerce, which broke the stranglehold of the East India Company
on commerce in the city and encouraged new entrepreneurs to open and develop
successful businesses. One such business, Spencer's, began as a small shop in
1864 and went on to become the largest Asian chain of department stores in a
relatively short time.

CHENNAI IN THE 20TH CENTURY AND ONWARDS
A crucial development in the early 20th century was the opening of the Madras
Stock Exchange in 1920, allowing major Indian business owners and
entrepreneurs entry to the mostly closed ranks of the British banking system.
Previously, during WWI, Madras had become the only Indian conurbation to be
attacked by the Germans, whose battle cruiser SMS Emden sunk a merchant ship
in the harbour and shelled the port one night before leaving in a hurry.
Following Indian independence in 1947, the city became the administrative hub of
the Tamil Nadu province and continued to attract massive numbers of migrant
workers from the interior to its factories, banishing most middle-class Indians and
the few remaining former colonists to safer locations.
Even so, the history of Madras, now known as Chennai, remains evident in many
colonial buildings and its cultural heritage is celebrated by its countless temples
and landmarks.
REFERENCE TO MADRAS FROM THE SOURCE OF MATERIALS
FROM THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA
The source materials on the Church History of India makes us to look back as
early as 1st Century AD. in which St. Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus came
to Kerala and Madras. There are stone cross inscriptions and one of them was

found at the traditional site of the martyrdom of St. Thomas ie, at St. Thomas
Mount. Nicolo De Conti, the great visitor to Vijayanagar made a visit to Mylapore
(1425-1430 AD.) also. The Raja of Tanjore and the Madras Presidency erected
monuments to the sacred memory of Rev. Christian Frederic Schwartz. The
establishment of the Bishopric of Mylapore on San Thome on the 9th day of
January 1606 by the Apostolic decree of PauI-V was a significant event. With
regard to self-rule. the Madras native church council had all native christians as
members. The fourth Decennial Missionary conference W35 held at Madras in
1902 during which resolutions were Passed on self-support, self-government and
seIf-extension.
The first source is the, The Acts of Thomas dated between 130 to 230 A.D. “The
whole document consists of Thirteen Acts, including accounts of St. Thomas,
journey from Jerusalem to India and his work there up till his martyrdom”.
“The stone cross inscriptions are dated 6th or 7th century AD. Five stone crosses,
the earliest physical remains of christiamty in India, have been discovered in South
India of which three crosses bear inscriptions on them.
Nicolo De Conti (1425-1430 AD) visited the tomb of St, Thomas at Mylapore and
makes references to Nestorian Christians living there. Niccolò de' Conti was a
Venetian merchant and explorer, born in Chioggia, who traveled to India and
Southeast Asia, and possibly to Southern China, during the early 15th century.
“Proceeding onwards the said Nicolo arrived at a Maritime city, which he named
Malepur, situated in the second gulf beyond the lndus „Bay of Bengal‟. Here the
body of St. Thomas lies honourably buried in a large and beautiful church, it is

worshipped (venerated) by heretics, who are called Nestorians, and inhabit the city
to the number of a thousand.”
Duarte Barbosa gives an account of his visit to the Tombs of St. Thomas at
Mylapore in 1515 AD. “Going yet further and leaving behind Charamandy and the
lands, there is on the sea strand a city, which is right ancient and almost deserted.
Called Mylapore, which erstwhile was very great and fair, Pertaining lo the
kingdom Of Narasyugua. Here lied buried body of blessedThomas in a little church
near the sea Here (in mylapore )lies buried the body of the blessed Saint Thomas
very modestly in the church which his disciples and followers built for him. The
Moors and heathens used to burn lights on it, each one claiming it as his own. The
Church is arranged in our fashion With crosses on the altar and on the summit of
the vault, and a wooden grating , and peacocks as devices, but it is now
Very ruinuous and all round it covered with brushwood, and a Moor holds charge
of it and begs alms for it, from which a lamp is kept burning at night, and on what
is left they live Some „Indian Christians go there on pilgrimage and carry away
many relics, little earthern balls from the same tomb of the Saint Thomas and also
give aim to the aforesaid Moor, telling him to repair the said house.
On Mylapore, the following description from the work of Barbosa . “Mylapore the
„town of the peacocks‟ at one time a famous town on the eastern coast of South
India. This coast is known in history by a more precise name the Coromandel,
being derived from Cholamandalam, the country of the Cholas. It signified the
country extending from the point where the coast turned Northwards, that is, from
point Calimere, where the coast-line which runs in a North-easterly direction from
Cape Comerin, takes a due north-south direction upto the Delta of the Krishna

river. Malbar was the name given by the Muslims of the 13th and 14th centuries to
this country. Abdulfeda distinctly names Cape Comerin as the point where
Malabar ended and Malbar began.
B.A. Figredo in his book Voices from the Dust (an archealogical research work
conducted by him in Mylapore) says “There was a coromandal coast, Mylai
(Mylapore) a town which became important from about the 2nd century AD. and
was well known to Roman traders.”
It was in 1517 that a group of Portuguese gentlemen visited this town and
venerated the Tomb there. It seems that already by then they had thought of a
plan to convert it into a colony for the veterans of the Portuguese Army. In 1523-
24, the tombs were repaired and on that occasion it was
excavated.this Portuguese establishment was lost in 1662, when the dutch
assisted the Muslims in capturing it. Towards the end of Aurangazeb‟s reign, it
possessed a mint of the Mughal emporor ln 1606, Mylapore was erected as a
diocese till then it was first under Goa and from 1558, under the cochin diocese In
the four hundred years between 1523 and 1903 the tombs in Mylapore were
broken upon atleast four times for one reason or another.
..It is clearly the fabrication of the Portuguese to camouflage their destruction of
the Hindu Temple of Kapaleeswara which was situated on the seashore, probably
at the very place where Santhome Church now stands. The great Saivite saint of
sixth century A.D., Tirujnanasambandar, sings in the 6th Poompavai Padikam
Thevaram:
The Lord of Kapaleeswaram sat watching the people of Mylapore
A place full of flowering coconut palms

Taking ceremonial bath in the sea on the full moon day of the month of Masai.
In the same strain sings Arunagirinathar, who came to Mylapore in 1456, in his
Tirumayilai Tiruppugazh:
O Lord of Mailai (Mylapore) temple, situated on the shores of the sea with raging
waves ...
This clear and indisputable evidence gives the lie to the legend that the
Portuguese invented to hide their nefarious work. The Portuguese domination of
Mylapore was from 1522 to 1697, by which time the British had established
themselves in the Fort St. George and adjoining territories, and the Portuguese
had to withdraw to Goa where their empire lasted till 1962. In Goa their rule was
noted for a spree of destruction of Hindu temples and persecution of the Goanese,
so much so that large sections of them had to flee that territory and settle all along
the west coast of India. They are the Gauda Saraswats. The fate of these
Goanese would have overtaken the temples and the people of Madras also, a
foretaste of which contingency they got in the destruction of the holy
Kapaleeswara Temple. Thanks to the British domination of the region and the
consequent elimination of the Portuguese, this tragic fate did not overtake them.
The British had more political maturity and diplomatic perception, which helped
them perceive that trade was more important for themselves than religious
propaganda. And so they kept an attitude of indifference towards the religion and
religious edifices of the people in whose midst they carried on their trading
activities, which eventually led to the establishment of a political empire.
The destruction of the seashore Temple of Kapaleeswara is said to have taken
place in 1561. The new temple at its present site, about one km. to the west, was

built by pious Hindu votaries about three hundred years ago, i.e., about two
hundred and fifty years after its destruction. When the Santhome Church was
repaired in the beginning of the current century, many stones with edicts were
found there. Among them one mentions Poompavai, the girl whom
Tirujnanasambandar is said to have miraculously revived from her ashes kept in
an urn.
These are all matters of the forgotten past. Both the Kapaleeswara Temple and
the Santhome Church are now thriving and catering to the spiritual needs of the
Hindus and the Christians. In such a situation it is better not to rake up the
memories of these unpleasant facts. According to forward-looking people many
things of the past are better forgotten than remembered and ruminated upon. The
history of the Kapaleeswara Temple and Santhome Church belongs to this
category.

MYLAPORE BEFORE MADRAS
Centuries before Madras there was Mylapore. Ptolemy the Greek, 140 A.D. ,
wrote of the great port of Maillarpha or Mylarphon. The Arabs of the 11th century
spoke of Maila and Meilan. A Catalan map of 1375 A. D. shows Mirapor. The
Nestorian Christians of Kerala at the beginning of the 16th century talked of
ancient Meliapor. And Camoens, author of the national epic of Portugal, The
Lusiads (1572), sang,
“Here rose the potent city, Meliapor
Named, in olden time rich, vast and grand:
Her sons their olden idols did adore,
As still adoreth that iniquitous band:
In those past ages stood she far from shore,
When, to declare glad tidings over the land,
Thomé came preaching, after he had trod
A thousand regions taught to known his God.”
Mylapore became Portuguese San Thomé‟s „Black Town‟ and the Portuguese
influence is still apparent in the southern part of this area. A mile from San Thomé
Basilica, near St Isabel‟s Hospital, is Luz Church, almost certainly the oldest
church construction still in existence in Madras. Kaltu Kovil (Jungle Temple) as the
church is known to this day in Tamil has a romantic legend associated with its
construction. It is related how some Portuguese sailors, in distress while at sea,
were guided to safety by a light. They beached safely and followed the light till it

disappeared. On that spot they built Luz Church, dedicated to Our Lady of Light.
More prosaic though is the information found inscribed in the church - that it was
built by a Franciscan monk, Friar Pedro de Atongia, in 1516. There is, however, no
additional evidence of such early construction, but the Roman Catholic Church
believes that this ancient inscription on black stone is the oldest European
inscription in India. Most evidence points to a building date between 1547 and
1582. Less than two kilometres from Luz Church is a church that resembles it very
closely, Descanco Church, where, it is believed, St Thomas used to rest and
indulge in acts of charity. Hundreds of years before the Portuguese, however,
Mylapore was a great town, once second only to Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
as a Pallava port, from whence went Tamil culture to the islands of the East and
the lands of the Menam and the Mekong. Today it is best known for its ancient
Hindu temple, a beautifully sculptured building with a large tank, a surrounding
shopping „arcade‟ that is ever busy and several Mutts (Hindu mission
establishments) nearby; Luz, an enticing shopping center ; and a warren of
residences of traditionalists, several of the buildings once surrounded by
spaciousness, but, alas, now hemmed in by smaller houses that fill up the
„gardens‟.
THE FAMOUS BUILDINGS OF THE PAST IN MYLAPORE
Street at its junction with North Mada Street. It was in this house of Raghunatha
Rao, at former Dewan of Indore, that “seventeen good men and true” met in 1884
and resolved that “a national movement for political ends” should be founded. The
following year, the Indian National Congress was launched. Raghunatha Rao did
not participate in the deliberations, but the Madras representatives were
Subramania Iyer, P Rangiah N aidu and P Ananda Charlu. In later years, before P
S High School moved to its own premises in R K Mutt Road, its junior classes

were held in this building. Rangiah Naidu used to live in Ranga Vilas, now 29
Police Commissioner‟s Road, Egmore. In the first floor of this house there is an
antique, marble-topped round table. Around this table were held several more
meetings of the 17 before the Congress was formed. But for all its connections
with the Congress, Mylapore, a traditional home of Congress leadership, is better
known for its associations with'the spiritual than the temporal. No Indian village, no
Indian town is complete without a temple. And so it is not unbelievable that the
Saivite temple of the „Town of Peacocks‟ has a tradition more than 2,000 years
old. More so since it is accepted that Thiruvalluvar, author of the immortal ethical
treatise Thirukkural, lived for many years in Mylapore, probably in the 1st century
B.C., no doubt because it was a great cultural and religious centre. But does this
tradition relate to Mylapore‟s Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple? Quite likely, because, of
all the shrines of Mylapore, including the one dedicated to the great Tamil poet -
about a mile to the north_ of the Kapaleeswarar Temple - none is more important
or more sacred to the Tamils than this big temple with its towering gopuram
HISTORY
In the 12“ century, when the Peria Puranam of Sekkilar which documented the
lives of the sixty three Shaivite saints came out, and the Kalingatthuparani was
written, Mylapore was well known as MAYILAI, MAYILAPPIL, TIRUMAYILAPURI,
TIRUMAYILAI, THOLMAYILAPURI, AND MAYILAPUR. It is at this point of history,
in the 13”„ century that Marco Polo visited Mylapore and mentioned it as a
landscape of peacocks (mayil). The east coast of South India began attracting
many travelers from this time and each one of them has mentioned Mylapore as
MYROPOLIS, MAYILAPURA and so on. The most significant notice of medieval
times undoubtedly is that of the great poet and saint of the 15”„ century,

Arunagirinathar who has sung of his favorite deity Singara Velan in MAYILAI in ten
of his Tiruppugazh hymns in a genre of poetry known as „Chandam‟.
Within the l7„“ century, the „temple was built on its present site, prominent literary
notices of the Kapali temple and Mayilai became frequent. Both known and
unknown poets, seers, composers, and others found lasting inspiration in this
shrine and poured out their Bhakti in Verses and songs. To trace the myth and
mysticism of Kapaliswara and Karpakambal these authors used genres like the
„Ula‟, „Kalambakam‟, „Andhadhi‟, „Padhigam‟, etc. The Ula even mentions the
names of the builders of the modern temple as „Muthiappan‟ and his father
„Nainiappan‟.
The heydays of ancient Mylapore were during the Pallava dynasty‟s zenith, as a
seaport of considerable significance. mylapore and Mamallapuram were the two
important ports of the time. The treatise Nandikalambakam testifies that much sea
trade was carried on in this port. The king of the time, Nandivaraman III was

known as Mallaivendan. It is believed that the image of Jyeshtalakshmi, the
goddess of misfortune on the northwestern corner of the temple tank belongs to
the Pallava period.

Not a garden house, but a historic house here is Krishna Vilas which, remodelled, stands on West

Temple tank
Temple tanks are wells or reservoirs built as part of the temple complex near
Indian temples. They are called pushkarini, kalyani, kunda, sarovara, tirtha, talab,
pukhuri, etc. in different languages and regions of India.
Since ancient times, the design of water storage has been important in India's
temple architecture, especially in western India where dry and monsoon seasons
alternate
Tanks (Kundas) are an integral part of India‟s famous and highly evolved
traditional water management systems. In areas (particularly the Deccan
peninsula) where the rivers are not snow-fed, the different kinds of tanks -
percolation ponds, natural lakes, artificial reservoirs and temple tanks – proved to

be of great use. While the ponds, lakes and artificial reservoirs were used for
activities like irrigation, washing etc., the temple tanks were sanctified and the
waters were drawn only in times of drought etc.
SIGNIFICANCE
Religious
The temple tanks are revered no less than the temple itself. Their waters (tirtham)
are believed to cleanse all sins. In fact, devotees are required to wash their hands
and feet in the temple tank before entering the temple. The waters are also used
to perform the daily ritual bath (abishekam) of the temple deity. Annual float
festivals (teppotsavam in Tamil) are conducted in the tanks, wherein the idol of the
deity is floated around the tank on a decorated raft. (called „teppam‟ in Tamil)
Water harvesting
Since the water from the temple tanks was not extracted for everyday chores, they
served the vital purpose of recharging the underground aquifers. They reduce the
runoff and enhance the water stagnation time, which ensures sufficient water in
the domestic wells during the summer months.
Aesthetic and Recreational
The temple tanks also added aesthetic value to the temple area. In small villages
and towns the temple tanks and their stone steps served as a gathering and
meeting places for the entire community.

Some of these sacred tanks supported a variety of life forms especially fish, which
helped maintain the tank by eating moss and algae which would otherwise turn the
water murky. Infact , active fish breeding was carried in some of the temple tanks
to provide an additional income for temple maintenance. Most of the ancient
temple tanks have fallen into a state of repair and disuse.
Unchecked extraction and blocking of inlet ducts (either by unplanned construction
or litter) has led to the drying up of some of the temple tanks. Also, the tanks have
become sinks for sewage and garbage of the neighbourhood. Those tanks that still
have water have been invaded by various kinds of weeds, rendering them unfit for
use.
Temple tanks of tamil nadu
At present, Tamil Nadu has 2,359 temple tanks. Of these 55 per cent are in good
condition. Despite the monitoring, most tanks dry up in summer and a few are
used to dump the city sewage, The tank's revival can be model for restoring other
tanks in the state. Another key concern about the tanks is their maintenance.
Most of the tanks had potable water a few decades back. But lack of awareness
reduced many of them into garbage dumping sites, prone to encroachment. The
inlets of the tanks, which carry rainwater from the surrounding catchment, are
mostly clogged, making the tanks dry for most parts of the year. After few years,
these dry tank beds become sites of development.

Why tanks are drying
One of the obstacles in reviving these tanks is that the authorities focus on
restoring the tanks only for the float festival, without looking at its water recharging
potential. Residents dump garbage into temple tanks without realising they are a

source of water for them. Parking of vehicles and location of shops and urinals
around temple tanks should be banned so that the water entering the tanks is
unpolluted. Right now the inlets of the tanks are sealed off and they are merely
used for storing water. All the departments are focusing on using the tanks for
storing the rainwater and not concentrating on the maintenance of the inlets of
these tanks which carry rainwater from the surrounding catchment areas.
There are also schemes underway to put concrete in the base of the temple tanks,
which will hamper water recharge. The bed material of tanks should be alluvial
soil, which will help retain rainwater and at the same time recharge the
groundwater in the surrounding area. A city like Chennai, which receives more
than 1,200 mm of rain annually, can use these tanks as systems for harvesting
rain. The rainwater that falls on the neighbouring catchment area can be diverted
through inlet pipes to these tanks.
The average groundwater level in the water stressed areas of Chennai have
dipped to 30-50 metre below ground. Restoring natural water tanks can go a long
way to improving the city's ground water level and quality.
There are 39 temple tanks in the city of Madras, most of which have been dry for
the past one decade due to rapid urbanization and continuous withdrawal of
groundwater. Out 39 temple tanks one tank belongs to Mylapore Temple which is
within Madras city. Then the Mylapore tank (within the city) has been taken and
studied in detail. The study found the reason for the dryness of urban tanks. It also
revealed the methods to rehabilitate and thus to re-establish the hydrological role
and possible multiple use of the tanks. The study analysed both the quantity and
quality aspects of the tanks.

Need for a temple tank
In India, traditionally settlements are located in and around temples. The temple
complex includes a tank which is as an important site for cultural actions and the
temples and tanks are inseparable. Temple tanks occupy a prime position in the
day to day living of the people. festivals create awareness among people
regarding the need to store rainwater. It can be simply summarised that the temple
tanks are meeting places of the social and ritual activities. Thus, temple tanks
need to be properly maintained to provide a sublime atmosphere. Apart from the
sanctity attached to them, the tanks help to recharge the wells in and around the
area. That was one of the reasons for the ancient rulers to allot funds for their
maintenance.
In India the word "tank" normally refers to a dug-out reservoir which has steps on
all sides reaching down to the water. The best examples of such tanks are called
kulam in South India. Traditionally, where the rainfall was relatively low, every
effort was made to retain all the water that fell on the ground through appropriate
water retention and conservation strategies such as at the erys, temple tanks and
ponds. Traditionally, temple tanks seem to have played three hydraulic roles:
• as a storage, which acted as insurance against low rainfall periods and also
recharges groundwater in the surrounding area,
• as a flood control measure, preventing soil erosion and wastage of runoff waters
during the period of heavy rainfall, and

• as a device which was crucial to the overall eco-system. In south India at least
one tank is attached to every temple. In Madras city alone, there are 39 temple
tanks.
The surface area of tanks varies from half an acre to seven acres (2000 m2 to
30,000 m2). Most of the temple tanks have been dry during recent decades due to
urbanization, continuous withdrawal of groundwater and blockage of inlet systems.
Most of the temple tanks were served by inlet systems in the olden days. In recent
years, due to mushrooming of commercial and residential apartments in the
catchment areas, the inlet systems are totally blocked and precious rainwater runs
into sewers and reaches the sea Over-extraction of groundwater has occurred due
to population growth in the tanks‟ catchment areas. Groundwater recharge has
been reduced due to the increase in impervious surface from asphalting or
concreting of roads and backyards. This has led to a lowering of the water table
surface and has caused failures in groundwater wells.
Structural features in temple tanks
Temple tanks are either square or rectangular in plan, and are truncated
trapezoidal in section, being staggered from top to bottom as shown in Often,
temples have two tanks: one inside and the other outside the temple building.
Granite slabs are used for constructing the steps on all sides.Normally, each step
has a tread of one foot and a rise of half a foot . At every tenth step there is a
landing of two foot width, having the same rise of half a foot. This gives stability to
the structure.

In Madras the major inlets are usually placed in the south west or the north west
corner of the tank. The land slopes from west to east. The major inlet is connected
to its own catchment area or another water resource through storm drains. Apart
from this inlet there are a few other slots like inlets on all sides of the tank. These
help to link the water table and the tank laterally. Most of the temple tanks also
have an inlet from the temple area. It has been observed from the original layout of
tanks in Madras City, there was series of inter linkages among the tanks to allow
excess flow of water to decant into the neighbouring tank. This design provided for
both inlet and outlet drainage. There is a structure known as a Neerazhi
Mandapam situated in the centre of the tank. The main purpose is to house the
deity during the Float Festival. It is constructed with granite stone . Most of the
tanks are having wells in their bed. Their presence is relevant in the present
context and one can visualize a certain functional role for them. The wells link the
aquifer and tanks and are supposed to serve for natural recharge. Wells in the
tank are shown in. Thus the design of the temple tanks is ideal from the point of
view of harvesting, storing Rainwater and recharges the aquifer.
MYLAPORE TEMPLE TANK
The water-filled temple tank, the proverbial reservoir or „Kulam‟ is mentioned in
early texts as a source of holy springs (Theerthas), each with a significant name
that commemorates an incident in the mythology of Kapaliswara. The Kulam
attached to all ancient temples plays a significant role, because it is here that
pilgrims take a holy dip to purify themselves before entering the temple. What is
more, even the gods take a dip in the Kulam on festival days. It is widely known
that great kings and courtiers, as well as other philanthropists like temple dancers

gave generously to build these kulams as an act of piety. They are superbly
designed architectural marvels, with perfectly aligned steps leading to the water
from all four sides, with a „mandapam‟ or pavilion adorning the centre of the water
body. When the present Kapaliswara temple was built, the land needed for the
Kulam was the property of the then Nawab of Arcot. When approached by his
Dubash on behalf of the builders of the temple, the Nawab gladly gave the land for
the Kulam with a stipulation that Muslims too on their holy days use the reservoir
for rituals. To this day, the Nawab of Arcot visits the „Theppa Utsavam‟ of the
Kapaliswara temple, while during Moharram their procession culminates with a dip
in the „Kulam‟

Problem inventory of the Mylapore tank
In 1974, rainfall in Madras city, was 900 mm which was below the normal value.
Hence, the tank did not get sufficient water. The authorities felt that silting of the
tank over the years had blocked springs supplying the tank and that the blockage
would be removed if the tank could be de-silted. By 1975, the time they could start
de-silting the tank, there was a heavy rainfall of 1500 mm and the tank was filled.
So the idea of de-silting the tank was given up. Each year until 1987 there was
enough water in the tank for celebrating the Float Festival.
In April 1987, the Tamil Nadu Construction Corporation started de-silting work, and
removed 1.5 metres of alluvial soil that lay over the sandy bed. This work was
completed in December 1988. From that date the tank completely lost its retaining
capacity, and no water stood in the tank for celebrating the Float Festival. But it
was observed that the water level in the adjoining wells improved very quickly
during the rainy season. For example, though there was exceptionally heavy
rainfall, of 180 mm in one day, on 4th June 1991, no water was found in the tank
the next morning. This state of affairs continued till June 1992. By then, the
authorities had begun to feel that the tank required some arrangements to retain
water.
Present day temple outside the temple and bordered by roads on three sides, is in
fairly.good condition. However, as there are no proper security arrangements,
people tend to use it as an open toilet. The tank is covered with lotus leaves.
During the rainy season, water from the temple grounds and the surrounding
streets flows into the tank, which fills up almost to full capacity. It suppons ground
water recharge in the surrounding areas

The strategies for improving tank hydraulics
Concreting the tank bed: Accordingly, the tank beds of the Madurai Meenakshi
Temple, Thiruvallur Veeraragava Swami Temple and Triplicane Parthasarathy
Temple were concreted. But this approach was not appreciated by the public. Our
fore-fathers, who could excavate such large tanks and construct the steps with
neatly dressed granite slabs, should have had some reason for not paving the tank
beds with granite slabs. The purpose of the temple tanks is not only the retention
of water for celebrating the Float Festival, but also includes some larger purpose.
As already explained, the temple tanks actually served two major purposes: the
first being to recharge the surrounding aquifersthe first being to recharge the
surrounding aquifers by allowing water percolation, and the other being to retain
water for social and cultural activities. Further, the natural tank bed permitted the
growth of water plants such as lotus and lily, and water creatures such as fish and
frogs. The Executive officers of the Triplicane Parthasarathy temple and Madurai
Meenakshi temple concluded that concreting the tank bed would arrest the
percolation of water.
The drawbacks of concreting the tank bed are:
• during the rainy seasons when the tank receives a copious flow of runoff water,
concreting the bed of the tank will prevent the natural replenishing and build-up of
groundwater resources,

• with very little natural circulation the stagnant water will deteriorate in quality.
Stagnant water
carries less oxygen and hence becomes less pure. Perhaps this explains why the
sastras also insist that water should be in active contact with the land,
• reduced oxygen levels due to stagnancy,together with the great warming of water
during summer, will render the tank an ecologically impossible habitation for fish
populations,
• algal blooms are widely noticed in tanks with cement flooring.Lining the tank bed
with clay:
To avoid the drawback of concreting, an alternate method offlooring with clay was
suggested. The clue for thismethod was inspired from the famous
PORAMAMULLA ERY Inscriptions of 1291 A.D.(Poramamulla is situated in
Cuddapah District inthe state Andhrapradesh). One of the important criteria for
locating the site is that the ground should be adorned with good clay. This method
was tried at the small Madhava Perumal Temple tank.
Sri Madhava Perumal temple tank is situated within the premises of Sri Madhava
Perumal temple in Thyagarajapuram near Mylapore tank. This tank has an area of
480 m2. As stated earlier, this tank could not retain any water before its
renovation. Renovation commenced in June1990. The tank bed was covered with
puddle clay to a depth of one foot. Over this, half a foot depth of silt sand was laid.
A bore was sunk at the centre of the tank. Water pumped from this bore was used

to fill the tank to a height of two meters yielded about 13 m³ per hour. Daily
evaporation from the tank is compensated by pumping water from the bore for one
hour daily. The open well situated at the centre of the tank is closed with a
concrete slab during summer seasons and is opened during rainy seasons. An
expert committee appointed by the Government of Tamil Nadu, to suggest
methods for retaining water in the Mylapore Tank, has recommended the method
of covering the tank bed with puddle clay to a depth of two feet with a thin layer of
sand over it. This was accepted by the government and the work was executed in
July and August, 1992. After this, the tank becamecapable of retaining the water.
However, the neighbouring community complained that there is no rise in water
level in their wells, though the tank is full. This made us realize that covering the
tank bed with puddle clay was not advisable since it does not serve the purpose of
recharging the
surrounding aquifer. There are 39,000 Erys in Tamil Nadu used for storing water
for irrigation. They occupy areas varying from 30 m2 to 1 km2. They are capable
of both retaining water and recharging the surrounding aquifer. A study of these
Erys, revealed that their beds are covered with alluvial
soil. This made us realize that the temple tanks can serve their twin purposes of
retaining water and recharging the surrounding aquifer if their beds are covered
with alluvial soil. Temple tanks accumulated alluvial soil at their beds when they
obtained their water supply from free catchment areas as the Erys do.Fortunately,
the temple tanks which were not renovated have not lost their alluvial soil. If the
blockages of their inlet systems are cleared, they will get enough water and the
alluvial soil bed will help them to retain water as well as to recharge the
surrounding aquifer. The temple tanks which were renovated have lost their
alluvial soil bed. The remedy lies in filling their beds with alluvial soils transported

from the Ery beds. Water Quality: Water samples were collected from. The age old
practice of using these tanks for bathing and washing of clothes no longer arises,
as they have surrounded by the development of commercial activities. As
mentioned earlier, the Mylapore Tank was served by a storm water drainage
system in ancient times. All the inlets serving the Mylapore Tank are now blocked
and destroyed. A survey of the entire area was conducted with the help of a digital
theodolite to find out its original catchment area and the reduced levels of the
locality. It was found that the High School ground, Ramakrishna Mutt Road and
Venkateswara Agragaram Street are the main catchment of the tank. This area
covers 140,000 m2 which is not sufficient to fill the tank full. In the above area
storm drains are available. But to fill the tank to its full capacity, an additional area
of about 400,000 m2 and new storm drains would be needed. This area was
identified and surveyed from Cutchery Road to Mandaveli Road. For this additional
area new storm drain should be constructed and connected to the Mylapore tank.
Some successful examples of temple tank renovation such as at Madhava
Perumal temple, have created much interest. In this particular case, finance for
tank renovation also came through contributions from residents of the area. Similar
successful renovations are being carried out in other temple tanks, the latest one
being the Maruntheeswarer Temple tank. The work was carried out by the Rotary
Club of Madras and the finance was fully met by them. The work was completed in
December 1993 and it has been handed over to the public for carrying out
maintenance.
A major conclusion of the study is that the bed material of the tank should be
alluvial soil, that willhelp to retain water as well as recharge the surrounding area.
The only water resources available to the temple tanks in the urban locality are
rain water from roof tops, roads and platforms. In fact, the area was originally 70 %

to 80 % open space through which rain water recharged into the ground. Now 90
% of the urban area around the temple is impervious surface. Hence the entire
rainfall should be collected through storm drains and stored in the temple tanks.
Chennai city alone has 39 temple tanks, having an average depth of 4.5 metres.
Through these 39 tanks it is possible to harvest and conserve about 1,300,000 m3
rain water. The catchment area required to fill a temple tank located in urban
surrounding has to be at least 10 times the surface area of the tank. Taking the
normal rainfall as 1200 mm, the tank could get water to a depth of 0.6 metres by
direct rainfall. The rest has to be collected from the identified catchment area.
Incidentally, the quality of waters in the temple tanks has been found fit for the
limited exposure category. The tanks of Chennai, act as water conservation
structures, apart from serving their traditional function. They can be filled to their
capacity by having storm drains from the surrounding urban area directed to the
tanks. A full tank has an aesthetic value, and the quality of water is also good for a
limited exposure use category. It can be seen that strategies for rehabilitation of
the temple tanks have integrated a `number of uses such as traditional functions,
rain harvesting structures, aesthetic value and limited exposure use for the public.

Kapaliswara temple of Mylapore is one of the most ancient Shiva temples in South
India. This temple is a delightful introduction to Dravidian temple sculpture and
architecture.
According to the census report on Temples of Madras State the original temple on
the coast was demolished by the Portuguese in the 16"„ century and the present
temple was built by one Muthiah Mudaliar son of Nainiappan Mudaliar. From stone
inscriptions belonging to the 12"„ and 13”„ centuries found within the temple and in
other temples of Madras, we can infer that the present temple was re-built with
stones from the original structure. There is one View at present that the temple

may not have been moved at all, and that, on the other hand, the sea may have
receded over many centuries. Some scholars seem to think that as the temple
may have been over-run by the sea, leaving behind only an oral history. Whatever
be the facts, to-day the Mylapore Kapaliswara temple is prominently placed in the
spiritual heritage map of India. There is an old Tamil saying: “koyil illa ooril kudi
irukka vendam” - none should live in a place without a temple. For, the temple
radiates a divine atmosphere, which elevates the spiritual strength of those who
live in its vicinity. Certainly, the Kapaliswara temple has such a power to influence
people not only around it but beyond as well
The original „Kapalam‟ means bowl fashioned from a skull, Lord Shiva is standing
with an ascetic‟s Kapalam in his hand. At the time of yuga pralaya (dissolutiion of
the cosmos) ndthing remains except Lord Shiva with his Kapalam. He starts the
creation of new Yuga from this Kapalam. Lord Shiva is therefore called
„Kapaliswara‟. The word „Mayil‟ in Tamil language means „peacock‟. Goddess Uma
worshipped Lord Shiva taking the form of a pea-cock under a Punnai tree, as
desired by him. Goddess Uma is called Karpakambal in this temple. Karpakam is.
the name of a holy tree in heaven.'It gives whatever one wants from it. Goddess
Uma blesses her sincere devotees .with all that they pray for like the Karpaka tree.
The goddess is an embodiment of „Shakti‟.
This temple is special to Murugan because the goddess is said to have presented
him the Shakti Vel (spear) to vanquish the demon Soorapadman. Murugan is
worshipped here as Singaravelan in a separate shrine.

Arunagirinathar, the poet and saint of the fifteenth century has sung ten songs on
Singaravelan of Mylapore. The temple houses special small shrines for Narthana
Canapathi, Saneeswarar, and the Navagrahas and so on.
The influence that the temple has exerted on the cultural activities is enormous.
Starting from the fact that Saint Tiruvalluvar lived in Chennai and worshipped
Kapaliswara, and Saint Tirugnana Sambandar and Arunagirinadar had sung on
the Lord, the aura of the temple‟s presence has been growing in spite of the
commercialisation that has made rapid strides. A place so rich in tradition and
shaping the religious and cultural life of the people certainly deserves to be made
popular all over the world.

The Kapaliswara temple and the seashore are inextricably linked from time
immemorial. The Tamil saints offer the best evidence for a Shiva temple on the
Mylapore beach. lyadigal Kadavarkon, the sixth century Shaivite prince of
Kanchipuram, Tiru Gnanasambandar and Arunagirinathar, the sixth and fifteenth
century Shaivite poets respectively, mention in their hymns that the Kapaliswara
Temple was on the seashore. Gnanasambandar writes, “The Lord of
Kapaliswaram sat watching the people of Mylapore-a place full of flowering
coconut palms-taking ceremonial baths in the sea on the full moon day of the
month of Masi.” Nine Centuries later, and one century before the arrival of the
Portuguese, Arunagirinathar writes, “O Lord of Mylapore temple, situated on the
shores of the sea with raging waves “
Very few stone inscriptions give us details about the history of Mylapore and the
temple. In the Shiva temple of Tiruvotriyur, a stone floor

slab of the ninth century tells us that Mayilai existed during the rule of the king
Kambavarman. A citizen of Mayilai is named as the donor of fifteen kalanjus of
gold to the Tiruvotriyur temple for the lighting of a perennial lamp. A stone pillar
with inscriptions dating to the time of Raja Raja Chola (tenth to eleventh century)
was found in the coconut grove belonging to the Santhome cathedral.
Archaeologists have also found twelfth entury inscriptions in the Santhome
cathedral indicating that the stones originally belonged to the Mylapore Shiva
temple. Elsewhere there is an inscription regarding a donation of lands for the
lighting of a lamp for the Nataraja of the Shiva temple.
Poompavai‟s name appears in an undated stone slab on the steps of a building,
which is part of the seminary at Saint Thomas Mount.

The present temple, not far from the glistening shore of the Bay of Bengal, is at the
centre of the oldest habitation of this city.
The surrounding area was once a village, guarded by a mother goddess, the
„Kolavizhi Amman‟. To this day, she is the powerful protector of the land. The
Kolavizhi Amman temple is unostentatious and not far from the sea. The goddess
was widely known in ancient times as Badra Kali, or Ellai Kali. A huge dark stone
icon of the many-armed goddess, with glistening eyes, denoting her fierce nature,

inhabits the sanctum. Seated in front of this image is the benevolent image of the
same goddess. In the corridor leading to the sanctum, one sees the marvelous
bronzes of the goddess. The Badra Kali image, in a dancing posture is a one -of- a
-kind masterpiece, and could be from the early Chola period. The seated „Amman‟
is beautiful, with a radiant and beatific face.
All important festivals and events in the Kapaliswara temple are conducted only
after prayers for their safe conduct are offered to this guardian deity. The other
very popular protective goddess of Mylapore who is also associated with the
Kapaliswara temple is the Mundakkanni Amman. A powerful granter of wishes and
healer of illnesses, this goddess too resides in a temple not far from the
Kapaliswara temple. Pilgrims flock to this shrine at all times, and particularly during
the auspicious Tamil month of Aadi. The curious aspect of this temple is that the
sanctum housing the goddess remains a village shrine as in very ancient times.
Mundakkani
Amman was and is a °Grama Devata‟ (village deity). The walls and roof are made
of a series of dry coconut palm leaves, stacked neatly, like in village houses. Many
attempts to build a permanent brick and mortar structure for the „Amman‟ were
made in the past with disastrous results. Finally, when elaborate astrological
consultations were made, it was discovered that it was not advisable. Thus, while
devotees can circumambulate the sanctum in a built up „Prakaram‟ like in any
other temple, the goddess resides in a simple hut-like structure, protected from
rain and sun by a thatched roof. Six Shiva temples and three Vishnu temples
stand like satellites around the Kapaliswara temple in Mylapore.
Saints like Pey Alwar, Vayila Nayanar and Tiruvalluvar were born here, giving the
aura of mylapore‟s sacredness an added meaning. The prestige of Mylapore was

established in Pallava times (7th century) by the visit of the boy saint
Gnanasambandar, and by the genius of Shaivite poetry, Tirunavukkarasar. For
posterity to cherish with love, Sambandar has sung of the Kapaliswara temple‟s
impressive festivals. They attracted in his time, as they do at present, the multitude
from far and near. Much later, Arunagirinathar too visited mylapore and sang ten
songs on his favourite deity „Singara Velan‟ (Murugan). The songs of praise
directed towards this Temple did not stop there. In each age, poets were inspired
to pour out their ideas in eloquent Tamil, carrying forward an ancient tradition to
the present day. By the nineteenth century, the goddess, Karpagambal‟s power as
„Shakti‟ gained deeper meaning in the minds of worshippers. Thus, we find the
songs sung after this period directed more to her than to Shiva and worshipped
the god with full honours. He is said to have lived long in this state of bliss and
finally attained the feet of the Lord in the month of Margazhi (December 15 to
January 14). Vayila‟s image in the temple is seen in a posture of repose, symbolic
of his having attained moksha, meditating on Shiva in this Venue. Nearby is a
Vilvam tree, sacred to Shiva, near which are the temple library and the room
where the Tevarams are sung. In the western courtyard stands the sanctum of
Arunagirinathar.
From time immemorial, this temple has nurtured, and nourished a wide spectrum
of people. Savants, seers, poets and scholars grew in stature here. Kings and
saints made this an „Ur‟ (homestead), worthy of pilgrimage. Merchants and
princes, Dubashes and sea-farers, artists and professionals, advocates and
doctors, have all lived around this temple, giving modern Tamil Nadu a reputation
for excellence equal to the heydays of the royal rule of ancient Tanjavur and
Tondaimandalam. Today, Mylapore and the Kapaliswara temple remain significant

landmarks in our landscape. The heritage of this temple is alive, attracting more
devotees each year, while it maintains all its ritualistic and festive activities as
perfectly as it has done for centuries. A sacred spot, it re-invents itself with the
passage of time, only to re-assure us devotees that this Place is inextricably linked
with Eternity.

Eastern Gopuram known as the Raja Gopuram, with its colourful stucco figurines
in bright colours, facing the Sannadhi street is generally used as the main
entrance of the temple. Facing us immediately ahead is the Narthana Vinayakar
shrine, the sanctum of the dancing Ganesa
THE SHRINES OF THE TEMPLE
The Narthana Vinayakar or dancing Ganesa is a rare deity in Shiva temples. Here,
his exclusive sanctum facing us as we enter from the eastern Gopuram is Very
special because he is the remover of obstacles and the first to be propitiated at all
times. The Utsava Murthi of Ganesa on his „Vahanam‟ the Mooshika or mouse is
the first to head the processions of Kapaliswara during the Brahmotsavam and
other special days.

It is customary for the principal deity and the main entrance of a temple to face
east. Thus, even though Kapaliswara faces west and there is a smaller western
Gopuram used by numerous devotees,
Eastern Gopuram known as the Raja Gopuram, with its colourful stucco figurines
in bright colours, facing the Sannadhi street is generally used as the main
entrance of the temple. Facing us immediately ahead is the Narthana Vinayakar
shrine, the sanctum of the dancing Ganesa. His charming pose is replicated on the
outer stucco frieze of this shrine. Due South one sees the twin shrines of
Annarnalaiyar and Unnamalai Amman. These are the names of the Lingam and
the goddess as worshipped in the temple of Tiruvannamalai.
l of the southern courtyard, one sees the sanctums of Pazhani Andavar and Vayila
Nayanar. Sundaramurthy N ayanar has sung Vayila Nayanar in his famous verses
„Tirutondar Tokai‟, where he describes Mayilai as ancient, and “where the red coral
washed ashore by the sea brightens the sky”. Vayila was born in the Vellala
community in ancient Mylapore. He meditated on Shiva, and mentally conceived a
temple for Shiva.

The Kapaliswara temple is the central shrine of Mylapore. Around it and within
walking distance are innumerable ancient and modern temples., among those with
claims to antiquity are six Shiva temples. Belonging to the twelfth century is the
Karaniswarar temple. It has a Shiva Lingam, which is like a cube, a rare feature.
This temple, like all Shiva temples houses the deities of the Navagraha (nine
planets). A special feature is the god Surya flanked by the icons of his two
consorts. The goddess of the temple is called „Porkodi‟ (golden creeper), and the
tree sacred to the temple (sthala Vriksha) is the Mango.
Just inside the western Gopuram stands the Dwajasthambani (the gold plated flag
post), and the Bali Peetanl (Carved stone mound where ritual offerings are made).
In the west is the main „Prakaram‟ of the temple. In this, many pillared space, we
find the majestic icon of Nandi, facing the sanctum of Kapaliswara. Shiva‟s
Vahanam (mount or vehicle) is the white bull (Nandi, or Vidai in Tamil).Nandi or
Nandikeswara is one of the „ganas‟ (the gang of spirits) who attend on him in
Kailasa. nandi is always found seated, facing the sanctum in all Shiva temples.
While many of the ganas who look grotesque and dwarf-like are supposed to have
danced with Shiva in the burning ghats, some like Karaikkal Ammaiar, one of the
Nayanars, is a human devotee transformed into a spirit. The ganas accompany
Shiva when he rides on his bull, and become his musical accompanists when he
dances. Nandi is Shiva‟s celestial drummer, accompanying his cosmic dance. Not
far from the western Gopuram are the small shrines of Karpaka Vinayakar and
Bala Murugan. Towards the North of the Dwajasthamham is the shrine for Angam
Poompavai, with Tirugnanasambandar standing close by. As we enter the inner

hall to get a Darshanam of Kapaliswara, we see first an old stone Lingam and an
image of Vinayakar near the entrance. Once we are inside, to the left we see the
bronze images of Murugan with Valli and Devayanai. Straight ahead in the
sanctum is the magnificent Shivalingam. It has the many-hooded Naga for a
canopy. The outer walls of the sanctum have marble tablets inscribed with ancient
hymns such as the Abhirami Anthathi. On especially auspicious days and on all
Fridays, the devotees standing in line for the „Darshanam‟ of Karpakambal winds
its way almost to the main eastern entrance of the temple.
As we proceed north from the Dwajasthambam, we pass by the large sheds,
which are the storehouses for the huge „Vahanas‟ belonging to the temple. Every
year before the Brahmotsavam commences, these beautifully crafted Vahanas are
taken out, polished, painted and got ready for the grand occasion.
Two small shrines with their own well proportioned „gopurams‟ are seen in the
Northern courtyard of the temple. Here one can see the Punnai Vana Nathar - the
lingam worshipped under the Punnai tree by the goddess who is the peacock. A
small Punnai tree casts its shadow on this shrine, alongside which is a tiny
enclosure where the temple maintains peacocks.
Around the corner, one sees the shrine of Sundareswarar. In the north eastern
corner of the courtyard is the special shrine for Saniswara. The Navagrahas (nine
planets) are housed in a special pavilion enabling devotees to walk around them.

Next to the Navagraha Shrine lies the Jagadeswarar shrine. Thus, we find that the
Kapaliswara temple has all the features of ancient temples.
THE INBETEWEEN SPACES AND STREETS
A space to a place
Open spaces are a critical factor in determining the quality of life in cities. While
many of these spaces have been consciously made, many others owe their
origins to regular use by people. People and their everyday activities define space;
sometimes in a more powerful manner than a given physical definition. Places of
interaction give rise to shared, social spaces. This may range from a shared
courtyard between neighbours, a street shared with vendors and fellow
commuters, to a garden shared by the entire city.
Open spaces in an urban fabric become much needed spaces of leisure,
interaction and in many cases, everyday transactions. "open spaces is notnonly for
recreation and conservation of environmental and cultural values, it is the
foundation of urban livability
“inevitably, life between buildings is richer more stimulating, more rewarding than
any combination of architectural ideas.”
-Jan Gehl, Life Between Buildings, Using public space.

The space outside a house, the pavement of the street, the corner around the
street, the wide footpath near the corner, the „park'- everyday spaces
spaces in which life is enacted everyday - the life of the child going to and from
school, of the person selling vegetables and the people buying vegetables, the life
of the people walking their dogs, by the couple sitting on a bench in the corner, of
the guy selling tea, of the group of kids practicing cricket and that of the three idle
friends who have nothing better to do at the moment than watch all the above.
Outdoor life is not limited to designated open spaces - „parks‟ and „maidans„; but is
spread over every bit of space that can be occupied according to need and
convenience. The use of these spaces is not restricted to recreational use, but
also includes everyday activities of requirement across a section of people. After
all, the way people occupy spaces makes place. Sometimes this occurs even
without absolutely any conducive physical elements. Human beings also have
innovative ways of appropriating existing spaces, surfaces and objects. Existence
and action both generate spatiality; sometimes to the extent of transforming
seemingly „leftover‟ spaces to positive, interesting ones. This is amply illustrated
by the Linking road stalls. In fact, they have „erased‟ the defined maidan behind
the stalls. Usage of these spaces is context (historical, cultural),
place(connectivity, land use) and people (gender, age, community) specific.

THE SPACES
The spaces outside a house, the pavement of the street, the corner around the
street , the wide footpath around the corner- the everyday spaces , spaces in
which life is enacted everyday- the life of a child going to and from school , of the
person selling vegetables and the people buying them , women rushing to the
temple for their morning prayers, cleaning their homes and adorning them with
kolams, the vibrant morning subrabatham that plays at every home on the street.
The outdoor spaces is not limited to designated open spaces, but it is spread over

every bit of space that can be occupied according to the need and convenience.
The use of these spaces is not restricted to recreational use, but also includes
everyday activites of requirement across a section of people
“life between buildings is richer, more stimulating and more rewarding than any
combination of architectural ideas”
After all, the way people occupy spaces makes place. Sometimes this occurs even
without absolutely any conductive physical elements. Human beings also have an
innovative ways of appropriating existing spaces surfaces and objects. Existance
and action both generate spatiality; sometimes to an extend of transforming a
seemingly left over space to positive interesting ones.usage of spaces is context
(historical cultural), place (connectivity , landuse) and people ( gender, age and
community) specific
- How people use certain spaces for certain activites
- Do the kind of trees present make a diffrenece to these spaces
- Are there some elements more used than others
- Are there some spaces that are more used or less used than the others
- Places which are comfortable for different purposes , for a walk or anyother
activity
- How come some spaces are clean and others are not

THE STREETS SURROUNDING
- north mada street
-South mada street
-East mada street
-West mada street
THE MADA STREETS
North mada street
1. The Informal stalls are a contrast of the high end shops that line the opposide
side of the road
The north mada street is a major shopping hub. The stalls are a continuation of
shops lining the road.
2. The market occupies a total width of 2.5m The stalls, their display, space for
people to stand and bargain and adequate space for non shoppers to walk, takes

up all of 6m of space. While 1.5m of this space (stall+standing space) is above
road level.
cars are allowed to be parked on the left side of the streeet houses shops like
vijaya stores (4 storied ) Saravana bhavan (3 storied ) sukra jewellery where a
traditional dance jewellery store

Mylapore’s Mada Streets
S. MUTHIAH
The Mylapore festival has once again come, drawn large enthusiastic crowds and
left them waiting for more at next year‟s bigger and better edition. The Mylapore
Times, the Namma Mylapore group and Sundaram Finance have been g etting it
right from the beginning, namely that the citizens of an area - and even many
outside it - want to get their area noticed and have it improved.
Going round the Mada Streets of Mylapore during the Festival, I couldn‟t help but
think that in any other part of a heritage-conscious world, these would be made
„Walk Only‟ zones. Make the four streets „Walk Only‟ ones and get the shops and
houses and other buildings on them to spruce themselves up and you would really
have a route where the visitor as well as the locals could enjoy the sights and
sounds of an ancient town - and shop without a crush! Namma Mylapore has
succeeded in a small way towards this end; the street leading to the Kapali
Temple they‟ve got made a „Walk Only‟ zone on pradosham evenings - and even
High Court judges have begun to respect this informal rule. How can we take this
further?
Another success in Mylapore is the „mikeless‟ concerts in the Nageshwara Rao
Park, first introduced by the Festival and now a monthly feature. One or two other
areas in the city have picked up the idea, but this needs to be done elsewhere in
Mylapore - perhaps even on the Mada Streets.
Speaking of the Mada Streets, a rather ugly brick-and-mortar shed has been built
for the thér on East Mada Street. A discussion with architects and landscapers
might have brought about a happier result, but now that it is done, can‟t something
be done to make the structure at least minimally attractive? Perhaps some of the
city‟s leading artists - indeed, why not that doyen S. Rajam himself, a Mylapore
man to the core - can come up with some answers.

THE TEMPLE FESTIVALS
The brahmostavam
The king of all he surveys, Kapali in a grand procession The most important event
in the annual calendar of the temple, the Brahmotsavam is celebrated for ten (lays
in the Tamil month of Panguni (March-April). The distinctive feature of this festival
is the processions of the Utsava Murthis around the four Mada streets surrounding
the temple. The processions are grand, with by drums, hands and Nadhaswarani
music. Priests chant the Vedas, the Odhuvars sing the Thevaram hymns, and the
devotees chant „haro hara‟ as the deities magnificently up with flowers and
jewellery come out of the eastern gopuram. A particularly auspicious „Darshanam‟
for which devotees is called the „gopura vaasal Darshanam‟ (a View of the Lord as
the procession pauses at the Eastern tower gate). The preparations for the festival
begin days before the commencement, with ritual cleansing of the temple,
polishing and painting of the different „Vahanas‟ (mounts), unveiling and
sanctifying the (carved ther and erecting of„pandals‟ in the outer Prakaram of the
temple. The two village goddesses („grama devatas‟) who guard Mylapore are
given sacrificial offerings. That evening the dancing Vinayakar goes out in
procession on his habitual „Vahanam‟ the Mooshika (mouse).
THE 10 DAYS OF THE FESTIVAL
The first day of the festival consists of the flag hoisting (Dwajarohan-am). To
elaborate chanting of mantras, the flag is hoisted on the Dwajasthambam – the
gold plated llagstaff facing the sanctum ofKapaliswa1„a. That evening the
procession depicts kapaleeshwara being worsliipped by karpagambal in the forth
of at peacock under the punnai tree.

The second day In the evening, the deity has the Moon as a backdrop, while
Ambaal rides a colouiful parrot and Murugan rides on a hamsa bird.
The 7th
day The seventh day is one of the most important in any temple festival. lt
is the day when devotees draw the Ther, the temple chariot, around the four
streets. Both young and old consider it a blessing even to touch the ropes that pull
the T her. The youth of Mylapore get ready for the event at crack of dawn. All the
buildings in the four streets have people squeezing into balconies to get a ringside
view of the Ther. It is considered especially auspicious to View the Ther in motion.
The fascinating thing is that all the deities have their own Thers. While that of
Kapali is the largest, the others are smaller vehicles, which even children can pull
and do so with great enthusiasm.
The ther
The base of the Ther is made of wood, decorated with intricate carvings of gods
and goddesses, angels, floral motifs, and so on. The woodcarvings on Thers are a
unique skill of Tamil Nadu artisans. Many of the big temples have Thers, which are
so exquisitely carved that they are considered priceless treasures of art. In the
past, many broken down pieces of woodcarvings from temple Thers have been
sold in antique markets to collectors. Fortunately, temples now are more protective
of these valuable assets. The colourful cloths covering the upper part of the Ther
are traditional Temple decorations. Specialists who know how to do floral and
figurative applique designs on cloth make them in Kumhakonani. ln the olden
days, these cloths used to he dyed only in vegetable colours crimson, yellow,
black and white. Now the colours are more varied. A part of the cloth decorations
is known as the Thoml)ai. It is seen on the sides of the Ther as a long tubular

hanging, which sways with the movement of the Ther. The Thombai has become a
popular decorative piece in all festive events in Tamil Nadu. It has also adorned
many a stage where music dance and other public events take place. In fact, the
Ther-Thombai has beeome a distinctive and recognizable insignia of Tamil Nadu
At the end of the day, when the Ther (comes hack to its base, Kapaliswara is
taken back to the temple in a grand procession with the sound of music filling the
air. He holds aloft a gem encrusted bow and arrow in his arms, looking every bit
the royal hunter. The milling Crowds celebrate the victory of good over evil in
many symbolic ways. women buy new glass bangles to wear, children are bought
toys made of clay, pith, and paper, as well as the ubiquitous plastic dolls, along
with brightly coloured sweets, like cotton candy. The four Mada streets reverberate
for hours after the Ther has finished its journey, with temporary shops selling
trinkets, and Children merrily ri(ling small Carousels.
The 63 nayanmar festival
Late at night, on the seventh day, the deities are again taken out in golden
palanquins. The eighth day is the most spectacular event in the Brahmotsavam. It
is the Arupattumoovar Vizha (feast of the siXty-three saints). Not only the
inhabitants of Mylapore but also the rest of Chennai congregate in the four Mada
streets to see this event. innumerable deities from all around the city come to
Mylapore in their decorated palanquins to particapate in this great procession.
Kola Vizhi Amman, Mundakkanni Amman and other goddesses are seen in their
full regalia. The most breath-takiiig icon is the Murugan decked in diamonds.

The four Mada Streets are packed with pilgrims from the morning of the Arupattu
moovar festival. What Sambandar sang in the seventh century still holds true
today.
festivals”. The eighth day, Sambandar says, is in honour of Shiva‟s eighteen
Canas, when the temple of Mayilai resounds with melodious hymns. The Canas
after all were Shiva‟s accompanists when he danced his Ananda Tandavam -
Cosmic Dance of Bliss.
Innumerable well-to-do families and traders, set up what is known as „Thanneer
Pandals‟ on this day to serve not only water and soft drinks, but also food to
pilgrims who come from all over Chennai and surrounding villages. These stalls
are seen as far as Adayar in the South and Tiruvotriyur in the North. This is such
an important day that even factories shut shop to allow the workers to take their
families to the festival. Special buses transport citizens to Mylapore, while many
come on foot as they consider it the appropriate mode for a pilgrimage. The air is
filled with expectation and excitement as all roads lead to Mylapore. Souvenir
shops, toy sellers, balloon vendors, mobile carousels, magicians in tents, all vie
with each other to atract the crowds. Every corner has a loudspeaker playing
popular religious songs. This is after all the holiest day for Shiva worshippers
because the sixty-three Nayanars circumambulate Kapaliswara, and ride forth
around the four large Mada Streets, moving backwards in their palanquins, as they
face the Lord with folded hands. It is a monumental celebration of Tamil Bhakti,
which is unique in its expression.

One of the most moving events on this day commemorates the miracle of
Sambandar resurrecting the girl Poompavai whose bones and ashes were stored
in an urn by her father Sivanesan of Mylapore.
At noon, the icons of the two devotees, Sambandar the boy saint, and Sivanesan,
the father of Poompavai, are taken in procession to the temple tank‟s shore on the
West Mada Street for a ritual bath „Abhishekam‟. Thereafter they enter the temple,
and in a symbolic ritual, they seek the permission of the Lord, and proceed again
to the Western shore of the tank with the pot, representing the ashes of
Poompavai. There the pot is placed along with the decorated icon of Poompavai
behind a screen. With devotees gathered around the spot, a Shivachariyar
officiates, giving the Odhuvar of the temple a „Parivattam‟ (sacred cloth) to tie
around his head, and Vibhuthi. The Odhuvar then begins chanting all the Verses
of Sambandar: “Mattitta punnayumkanal mada Mayilai. . .” At the end of each
stanza, when he chants the words “Podhiyo Poompavai”, a lamp and incense are
held up to Sambandar‟s icon, to the accompaniment of cymbals and the drum (
known as Nattu- Muttu). At the completion of all the Verses, the curtain is opened
to reveal the icon of Poompavai, and a ceremonial Deepa Aradhana with a five
faced lamp is conducted in front of both Poompavai and Sambandar. After this, all
three images return to the temple and wait to have the grand Vision of
Kapaliswara, Karpakambal, Vinayakar, Murugan and Chandikeswara, decorated in
regal splendor for the grand procession.

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