Kapaleeswarar Temple Festival 2023 Schedule - Mylapore Panguni Chariot Festival - Arupathu Moovar Peruvizha

Kapaleeswarar Temple is located at Mylapore in Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The most important festival observed in the temple is the Panguni Festival. In 2023, Kapaleeswarar Temple festival is from March 27 to April 5, 2023. Adhikara Nandi is on March 29. Arupathu Moovar Peruvizha is schedule for April 3. Thirukalyanam is scheduled for April 5, 2023.

The festival is also famous for the annual musical concerts held during the period.

Please note that all dates are collected from various sources from Mylapore. The official temple dates are not to be found anywhere. Please call the temple and confirm the dates.

Kapaleeswarar Temple Festival 2023 Schedule

March 26, 2023

Grama Devatha Sri Kolavizhi Amman Rituals

Sri Narthana Vinayagar Velli Mooshika Vahana In The Evening

March 27, 2023
Flag hoisting in the morning
Ambal Mayil Vadivil Shiva Puja At 10 PM

March 28, 2023
Surya Vattam in the morning
Chandra Vattam in the evening

March 29, 2023
Adhikara Nandi morning around 6:00 AM
Bhootatan, Bhutaki Vahanam at night

March 30, 2023
Purusha Mirugam, Singha Vahanam (morning)
Nagam, Kamadhenu Vahanam (night)

March 31, 2023
Sowdal Vimanam (morning)
Silver Rishabha Vahanam at night (Velli Vidai Vahanam)

April 1, 2023
Pallakku Vizha (Morning)
Yanai Vahanam (Evening)

April 2, 2023
Therottam (Morning)
Therilirinthu Thirukovil Ezhuntharural (Evening)

April 3, 2023
Arupathu Moovar Thiruvizha (Afternoon)
Sri Chandrasekara Paar Vettai Vizha (night)

April 4, 2023
Pancha Moorthi Vizha (morning)
Bikshadanar or Iraivan Iravalar Kolam (evening)

April 5, 2023
Therukoothu Peruman - Shri Nataraj - Thirukachi
Thirukalyanam (night)
Kodi Irakkam, Chandikeswarar Thiruvizha (flag is brought down on the day)

April 6, 2023
Uma Maheswarar Darisanam (Morning)
Pandam Parivizha (Evening)

The main events are

• Flag hoisting
• Lord will be carried on Sun chariot in the morning. On the same day evening he will be carried on Chandra Chariot
• the Adikara Nandi Vahana – Dedicated to Nandi vehicle of Shiva.
• Lord will appear on Naga Vehicle. On the same day Ambal will ride on Kamadhenu Vahana.
• Lord will appear on Vrishabha Vahana.
• Lord will appear on Yaanai Vahana.
• Chariot Festival.
• The Arupathu Moovar Peruvizha

In the month Panguni, the traditional Brahmotsavam (annual festival) takes place and there is a carnival atmosphere near the temple. Since Panguni corresponds to the mid-March to mid-April duration, the Kapaleeshwarar temple celebrates the nine day-long as Panguni Peruvizha (Spring festival).

The festival starts with Dwajarohanam (flag hoisting), includes the chariot festival (tharolsavam), Arubathimoovar festival and concludes with the Thirukalyanam (marriage of Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal).

In the Brahmotsavam, the murtis of Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal are decorated with clothes and jewels, are mounted on a vahana, and then taken around the temple and its water tank in a pradakshinam (a clockwise path when seen from above).

This is repeated with different vahanas over the next nine days.

The more important of the individual pradakshinas are

• the Adhikara Nandhi on the third day,
• the Rishaba Vahanam on the midnight of the fifth day,
• the ther (about 13 meters in height and pulled by people) on the seventh morning,
• and the Arubathimoovar festival on the eighth day.

Arubathimoovar Festival

The Arubathimoovar festival is the most important procession. It is named after the sixty-three Nayanmars who have attained salvation by their love and devotion to Lord Shiva.

All sixty-three Nayanmar idols follow the Kapaleeshwarar idol on this procession.

During the car festival, Kapaleeshwarar is depicted holding a bow while seated on a throne, with his wife Karpagambal alongside. Brahma is depicted riding the ther. The chariot is decorated with flowers and statues, and there are huge gatherings of devotees to pull the ther.