Have you thought about this? The ‘main’ entrance through the Eastern Rajagopuram is not the ‘front’ entrance to Kapali temple? It is actually the back entrance!
The Lord faces West and the Dwajastambahm is also on the West. So the entrance from the West facing the tank is the front of the temple. The Eastern Gopuram is tall and there is Ganapathy at that entrance. This makes us assume that this is the front.
This was highlighted by Dr Chitra Madhavan in her talk about the 3 temples of Mylapore on Sunday, 8th January as part of the Mylapore Festival 2023.
This is something which we see but never think of.
Madras Nalla Madras. A photo blog on Madras, that is Chennai 