Located in Mylapore, the Kapaleeshwar Temple is one of the leading tourist attractions in Chennai renowned for its eight-century Pallavan architecture besides being the oldest temple in the city. The Kapaleeshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and many legends are associated with this temple. The architecture of Kapaleeshwar Temple is distinguished for its Dravidian style with elaborate and intricately carved Gopuram, mandapams and a sacred tank. The Kapaleeshwar Temple consists of two entrances marked by the Gopuram on either side, while its main entrance faces east with puranic legends inscribed on it.

According to the legend associated with the Kapaleeshwar Temple, Lord Shiva was supposed to have plucked off one of the heads of Brahma in order to arrest his pride. As an act of penance, Brahma placed a Shiva Lingam Mayilai (Mylapore) which today is known as Kapaleeshwar. A small shrine of Goddess Parvati (Lord Shiva's wife) can be found in the courtyard of the Kapaleeshwar Temple and the form of Parvati at this temple is called Karpagambal. There are many other shrines in the Kapaleeshwar Temple like the shrines dedicated to Ganesha, and Muruga with his two consorts Valli and Deivayani. There is also a separate shrine for Sani Bhagavan whereby special worship is done on Saturdays.

The rituals at the Kapaleeshwar Temple are the four daily pujas which include the early morning puja, the day puja, the pradosha kaala puja and the night puja. Besides these there are several festivals associated with the temple including the Arupathu Moovar Vilzha Festival which is celebrated in the months of March and April. During the Arupathu Moovar Vilzha Festival, a large number of devotees assemble at the temple to participate in the ten day festivities celebrated in honor of the 63 Nayanmars. The bronze idols of the temple are taken in procession across the streets of Mylapore. The festival of Arupathu Moovar Vilzha has become an integral part of the Mylapore community and a much awaited festival. During the festival the entire city comes alive with the festive atmosphere where the streets look colorful and people are seen preoccupied with the celebrations. There are many other traditions and custom practiced in the Kapaleeshwar Temple. As the oldest temple of Chennai, it attracts a lot of attention and has visitors coming here from all across India. Particularly the festive season has many visitors coming to Mylapore to experience and participate in the celebrations.

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