One always sees the image of kIrtimukha on the shukanAsA of any traditionally constructed temple. This peculiar figure consists in itself the symbolism of simha, kAla and rAhu. Simha, which is the vAhana of kriyA-shakti nArAyaNI, represents victory over enemies. Scriptures frequently refer to both parameshvara and nArAyaNa as simha. The story of shrImannArAyaNa severing the head of rAhu is well-known. In the image of kIrtimukha, one sees the death-giving wrath of the Divine as also the power to breathe life into death - the two pieces signified by rAhu and nrsimha respectively.

There are various legends surrounding the appearance of kIrtimukha. According to padma purANa (uttarakhaNDa, X) and skanda purANa (viShNukhaNDa, kArtikamAsa mAhatmya), rAhu accepted the role of the dUta of the asura jAlandhara and approached mahAdeva with the demand to handover pArvatI to his master. The tremendous anger of mahArudra outpoured from his third eye in the form of a ferocious being of utmost power; with a lion face and lolling tongue, shooting lightening rods from eyes. rAhu at once fell at the feet of the great Lord and sought refuge. The ever compassionate Lord offered refuge to rAhu and commanded the fiery being to consume itself. The fiery creation of mahAkAla consumed its own body and was left only with its head remaining. This head came to be known as the kIrtimukha.

Rahu represents the act of grAsa or devouring of the sun and the moon whereas in this case, the great nrsimhAtmaka shaiva tejas of paramAtman devoured the devourer. Rahu also represents tamas or darkness as he overpowers the brilliance of even the sun with his own darkness, earning him the name svarbhAnu. If seen carefully, rAhu himself is an aspect of kAla who regulates the courses of sun and moon by devouring them and later releasing the two. Rahu himself is devoured by simha, here representing mahAkAla, who exhibits supreme mastery over time and beyond. Both nigraha and anugraha aspects of the Lord are reminded to us in the form of kIrtimukha as also the aspects of tamas and its transcendence.

According to legends from the shaivAgamas, shiva assumed the form of sharabha to control the wrath of nrsimha who had begun to terrorize the worlds after slaying hiraNyakashipu. Sharabha seized the form of nrsimha and out of his chopped head arose the form of kIrtimukha. It must be noted that hiranyakashipu is the brother of simhikA, of who was born rAhu. As a mark of respect to nrsimha, the devotee is instructed to worship kIrtimukha before worshiping the main deity within the sanctum. From the skin of nrsimha, the same Agama recounts, was made an Asana which came to be known as simhAsana.

vAstu and rAhu are described as sons of kashyapa, one resting at the base of the devatA-grha and the other fixed above the shikhara. The other related variants include garuDamukha, kAlamakara, shamkhamukha, kAlamukha etc.

In Buddhist Tantra, kIrtimukha is associated with aruNa, the elder brother of garuDa. Bodhisattva Manjushri is described to have placed the figure of aruNa atop Buddhist shrines showing his fiery face devouring serpents - to safeguard worshipers from wrathful beings, chiefly from the nAgas. A Buddhist's fear of the nAgas is evident even from the Pali Suttas.

Kirtimukha also finds place in the jaTAmaNDala of tatpuruSha mUrti and is worshiped during the five-fold AvaraNa-krama of shuddha-prAsAda mantra.