The Mylapore Temple is just steps away from my apartment in a lively market area. As you enter the temple, you must remove your shoes , but your bare feet on the ancient stones is warm and sensual. Hindu worshipers walk the temple grounds in a circle, offering prayers, lighting candles, kissing the stones, feeding the temple cows. At dusk on Saturday, the bell is rung continuously while the priest performs in the inner temple area (where I'm not allowed as a non-Hindu), musicians play a haunting melody on a type of horn instrument, while the drums beat. It's a hypnotic, entrancing atmosphere.
The word Mylapore is expanded as "Mayil arparikum oor" which means 'Land of the peacock scream'. The word mayil, meaning peacock, which was the traditional vehicle of the Hindu god Muruga.[3] ...Legend has it that Goddess Parvathi, the divine consort of Lord Shiva, did penance at Mylapore taking the form of a pea-hen, in order to be wedded to him. The name Mylapore is derived from this legend - "Mayil" in Tamil means a peacock. The famous Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore and its beautiful temple tank are associated with this legend. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mylapore)  |
| There is a five-headed cobra at the peacock's feet. |
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The temple tower is said to have statues of all the Hindu gods and goddesses (quite a feat since there are so many). You can see most of them in the towers over the entrances. |
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Outside the temple, people are buying flowers and statues, while the auto rickshaws beep-beep their way .through the narrow streets
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| Sri Iyappan Flower Shop |
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| The Mylapore Temple: A respite from the busy, crowded city of Chennai |
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