Mystic Mylapore – Exploring some myths
“Here rose the potent city, Meliapor, Named in olden times, Rich, vast and grand."
Camoens in 1572, describing Mylapore
Apart from being a crowded and busy area in Chennai, Mylapore is the cultural epicentre of city with its heritage, art, religious harmony and its historic links to famous poets and lawyers. Being older than the city itself, Mylapore boasts of a temple with legends of Lord Shiva, a Catholic Church where St. Thomas is known to have visited and buried, and, of course number of sabhas to preserve and promote classical music.
Kapaleeswarar Temple
Legend also has it that Lord Shiva, once flew into a rage and pinched off one of Brahma's heads (kapalams) on order to teach him a lesson for his vanity and pride. As repentance Brahma installed the Kapaleeswarar Sivalingam at Mylapore and conducted penance.
Legend also has it that Goddess Parvathi in the form of a peahen worshipped Lord Kapaleeswarar at the Kapali temple. In olden times lots of peacocks and peahens lived around the temple. So the place came to be known as “Mayil Aadum Puram” which later was shortened to Mylapore. The main deities in the temple are Lord Shiva and Karpagambal.
The current temple is however not as old as it is believed to be. The original Kapaleeswarar temple is said to be a coastal temple with inscriptions as old as 1250 AD. The existing Kapaleeswarar temple was built around 300 years back, when the Portuguese pushed the ancient coastal township of Mylapore away from the shore.
Kapaleeswarar temple is a typical representation of Dravidian Architecture with its majestic Gopurams with elaborate sculptures representing mythological tales, side entrances, and a huge tank. Its main entrance faces the west, behind the tank. The east entrance however is more beautiful with its 120 foot gopuram and the Chariot Car, meant for the annual temple festival.
Santhome Church
One of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, St Thomas is believed to have come to Mylapore. It is said that he died in 72 AD at St. Thomas Mount and his body was buried in Mylapore.
The Portuguese built the Santhome Church over the tomb where the ancient church stood. The Gothic Cathedral was raised to the dignity of a Basilica in 1956 and during 2004, the Cathedral was renovated and an underground chapel was built to facilitate visits to the tomb without disturbance to the Holy Services.
Mylapore Trivia –
- Other notable temples in the area include the famous Srinivasa temple, Madhava Perumal, Mundakanni Amman, KolaVizhi Amman, Anjaneyar Temple, Apparswamy Temple, Vellishwarar Temple, the Sai Baba temple and the Jain Temple on Kutchery Road.
- It is widely believed that the Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar who composed the great Thirukkural was born in Mylapore. There is also a temple dedicated to him at his home where he had lived centuries and centuries ago.
- Every December several sabhas in Mylapore organize a 5 week long Carnatic music festival called the December Music Season, with performances by leading Carnatic Music vocalists and artists during this period, more than any other city in India.
- Mylapore's MRTS railway station, called Thirumylai Railway Station, connects it to other MRTS areas of Chennai. Apart from that, buses connect Mylapore to most parts of the city.
- A lot of Vegetarian restaurants are quite famous in Mylapore. There are a lot of good hotels adjoining the tank apart from the old eateries like Karpagambal Mess at East Mada Street and Rayar’s café at Kutchery Road.
Mylapore today is a thriving township which has a good mix of supermarkets, jewelers and restaurants. But spend some time in one of the narrow bylanes. And you will be transported into a bygone era, when poets and lawyers discussed life over cups of filter coffee and when peacocks danced in temples!
Camoens in 1572, describing Mylapore
Apart from being a crowded and busy area in Chennai, Mylapore is the cultural epicentre of city with its heritage, art, religious harmony and its historic links to famous poets and lawyers. Being older than the city itself, Mylapore boasts of a temple with legends of Lord Shiva, a Catholic Church where St. Thomas is known to have visited and buried, and, of course number of sabhas to preserve and promote classical music.
Kapaleeswarar Temple
Legend also has it that Lord Shiva, once flew into a rage and pinched off one of Brahma's heads (kapalams) on order to teach him a lesson for his vanity and pride. As repentance Brahma installed the Kapaleeswarar Sivalingam at Mylapore and conducted penance.
Legend also has it that Goddess Parvathi in the form of a peahen worshipped Lord Kapaleeswarar at the Kapali temple. In olden times lots of peacocks and peahens lived around the temple. So the place came to be known as “Mayil Aadum Puram” which later was shortened to Mylapore. The main deities in the temple are Lord Shiva and Karpagambal.
The current temple is however not as old as it is believed to be. The original Kapaleeswarar temple is said to be a coastal temple with inscriptions as old as 1250 AD. The existing Kapaleeswarar temple was built around 300 years back, when the Portuguese pushed the ancient coastal township of Mylapore away from the shore.
Kapaleeswarar temple is a typical representation of Dravidian Architecture with its majestic Gopurams with elaborate sculptures representing mythological tales, side entrances, and a huge tank. Its main entrance faces the west, behind the tank. The east entrance however is more beautiful with its 120 foot gopuram and the Chariot Car, meant for the annual temple festival.
Santhome Church
One of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, St Thomas is believed to have come to Mylapore. It is said that he died in 72 AD at St. Thomas Mount and his body was buried in Mylapore.
The Portuguese built the Santhome Church over the tomb where the ancient church stood. The Gothic Cathedral was raised to the dignity of a Basilica in 1956 and during 2004, the Cathedral was renovated and an underground chapel was built to facilitate visits to the tomb without disturbance to the Holy Services.
Mylapore Trivia –
- Other notable temples in the area include the famous Srinivasa temple, Madhava Perumal, Mundakanni Amman, KolaVizhi Amman, Anjaneyar Temple, Apparswamy Temple, Vellishwarar Temple, the Sai Baba temple and the Jain Temple on Kutchery Road.
- It is widely believed that the Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar who composed the great Thirukkural was born in Mylapore. There is also a temple dedicated to him at his home where he had lived centuries and centuries ago.
- Every December several sabhas in Mylapore organize a 5 week long Carnatic music festival called the December Music Season, with performances by leading Carnatic Music vocalists and artists during this period, more than any other city in India.
- Mylapore's MRTS railway station, called Thirumylai Railway Station, connects it to other MRTS areas of Chennai. Apart from that, buses connect Mylapore to most parts of the city.
- A lot of Vegetarian restaurants are quite famous in Mylapore. There are a lot of good hotels adjoining the tank apart from the old eateries like Karpagambal Mess at East Mada Street and Rayar’s café at Kutchery Road.
Mylapore today is a thriving township which has a good mix of supermarkets, jewelers and restaurants. But spend some time in one of the narrow bylanes. And you will be transported into a bygone era, when poets and lawyers discussed life over cups of filter coffee and when peacocks danced in temples!
