Ganges is flowing out from the matted hairs of most merciful Kapali. Kaparda means matted and braided hairs, and Shiva is called Kapardi as he is keeping such hairs. Ganges was wandering in the tress of Lord Shankara before coming down to earth planet. River Ganga was very proud of her terrible force, and she was confident to enter in lower planetary systems by breaking the earth hither and thither. But it happened quite opposite. Lord Shankara blocked the force of Ganges by the forest of his matted hairs. She started crying when she could not find any way to escape from there. Lord Kaamaari, who subdued the deity of lust named Kamdeva, was filled with compassion and he gave way to Ganga by removing a single bunch of hairs, and thus Ganga’s pride was diminished. King Ravana has enchantingly depicted this event in his Shiv Tandava Stotra—

जटाकटाह संभ्रमन् भ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरि
विलोलवीचिवल्लरी विराजमानमूर्धनि।
धगद् धगद् धगद् ज्वलललाटपट्टपावके
किशोरचंद्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम ॥

Kapardi also indicates the austere nature of Lord Shiva. The ascetics generally hold the tress i.e. matted hairs—Jataabhi Taapsah. In the spiritual terminology the sky itself is the hairs of Shankara, where the clouds keep strolling and water is obtained through this very source. In the deity of Nataraaja sky is mentioned as tress. Lord Shankara is known as Kapardi for many reasons—especially for being purified by the movements of celestial river Ganga, for a better cleansing of eternal river Ganga, for granting a balanced motion to the streams of Ganga so that it may flow properly on earth, for keeping braided hairs, and for wearing the garland of ropes in the swan incarnation. Forbearing all troubles and pains for the sake of austerities is a true form of worship of Lord Kapardi.