Dome

Roof detail with painted stucco figures; Kartikeya (Murugan) on lotus with his consorts Valli and Devyani; Mylapore is a neighborhood in the southern part of Chennai. The temple's name is derived from the words kapalam (head) and eeshwarar, an alias of Shiva. It is a Saivite temple, worshipping Shiva and Parvati in her form known as Karpagambal (from Tamil, "Goddess of the Wish-Yielding Tree"). The temple is thought to first date from the 7th century (Pallava reign); this was destroyed under the Portuguese and the present building built (1 km further inland) in the 16th century under the Vijayanagara empire. This temple is in the southern, dravida (Dravidian) style, with a large gopuram and two entrances. Some inscription fragments dated from 1250 CE exist. The temple's east 120 ft gopuram (gateway tower) was built in 1906 with stucco figures adorning it. There are several Sannidhis (internal temples) dedicated to various gods inside the temple complex, as well as other shrines and halls (mandapa) and a temple tank. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 5/13/2015)