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The origin of Kirtimukha lies in the Yuddha Khanda of the Rudra Samhita. Birthed from the wrath of Lord Shiva, it was a ravenous, all-consuming makara (a mythical aquatic creature of Hindu lore). The beseeches of Lord Rahu, who was sent by King Jalandhara to provoke Him in the first place, pacified the temper of Shiva.

At this point, the makara ended up consuming its own self and did not stop till its own mandible. It earned from Shiva the name of Kirti, which means glory, and came to be known as the Kirtimukha (‘mukha’ means face). Kirtimukha is a frequent motif in Indian art and architecture. It is to be found at temple entrances as well as in iconography, from the classical to the contemporary.