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Location : Thanjavur
District Of Tamil Nadu
Famous Temples: Sri Adikumbeshwara Temple,
Sri Sarangapani Temple, Sri Nageshwara Temple, Sri Chakrapani Temple And
Sri Ramaswami Temple
Famous Festival Celebrated: Mahamaham
Festival
Kumbakonam is the
temple town of South India situated in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.
It is a fertile area on the banks of river Cauvery and one of its
tributaries Arasalaru. The town is famous for the Mahamaham festival
that is celebrated once in 12 years in the Mahamaham tank located in the
heart of the city.
Kumbakonam is
flooded with temples of large size. There are as many as sixty temples,
in and around Kumbakonam within 40-km of radius. Of the many temples in
Kumbakonam, the oldest Shaiva fane is the Adikumbeshwara and the oldest
Vaishnava fane, the Sri Sarangapani.
Sri
Adikumbeshwara Temple
This is the
largest and the oldest Shiva temple located in the centre of the town of
Kumbakonam. The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Kumbeshwara and
the presiding Goddess is Sri Mangalambigai. There is a shrine dedicated
to Adi Vinayaka (Lord Ganesh).
A Chola King
built the temple and the temple building itself would seem to have been
renovated by the Nayak King. Some of the old images like Sri Ambal, Sri
Durgaiamman and Sri Kirathamoorti bear the impress of the antiquity
about them.
The temple
contains some wonderful pieces of sculpture and architecture. Its main
Gopuram is 128 feet high and has many intricately carved sculptures on
it. On a single block of stone in the Navaratri Mandapam all the 27
stars and 12 'Rashis' (signs) have been carved out.
The image of Lord
Subramanya, enshrined in this part of the temple, is a rare specimen. It
has six heads but only six hands holding different kinds of weapons.
There is an excellent collection of silver Vahanas (palanquins) used to
carry the deities at festival times.
Legend
Connected With The Temple
Tradition goes to
say that during the "Mahapralaya" (Great Floods) after "Dwaparayuga",
a 'Kumbam' (Pot) full of Amritham (also spelt as Amrit) and seeds for
creation was set afloat by Lord Shiva. It was proclaimed by Shiva
Himself that the place where the pot touched theground and had its rest
would be considered as the holiest places in the world.
Since the said
Kumbam, as announced by the creator of the world, had its rest in this
place, this ancient place is named as "Kumbakonam" after that
Kumbam. Immediately after its rest Lord Shiva appeared in the guise of a
hunter and broke thesaid Kumbam full of Amritham with his arrow.
The nectar
settled at two places one of which became the famous Mahamaham Tank. Out
of the pieces of the broken pot Lord Shiva made out a ShivaLinga and
entered into it. This is now enshrined in the temple, and hence the name
Adi Kumbeswara, meaning - one who entered the Kumba or vessel long long
ago.
It is to be noted
that this MahaLinga unlike other Lingas found in other temples, is not
made of granite stone and as such Abishekams (also spelt as Abhisheka)
cannot be performed with watery substances lest it should dissolve the
shape of the Linga (also spelt as lingam).
Idol Of
Kirathamoorti
The idol of
Kirathamoorti is a special feature in the temple and it is a standing
monument to commemorate the incidence that, Lord Shiva Himself has
created the present MahaLinga.
The Shaivaite
Saints, Appar and Sambandhar who flourished prior to the 7th century AD
have sung devotional songs ("Thevarams") in praise of the
presiding deities of the temple.
Temple Timings
The temple is
kept open from 5:30 in the morning and stays so till 12:00 in the noon.
The temple usually remains closed during the noon hours, and reopens in
the evening at 4:00 p.m. The temple closes in the night after the last
pujas are performed by 8:00 p.m.
Sri
Sarangapani Temple
The Vaishnavaite
temple of Sri Sarangapani is some two thousand years old in its
traditional origins. The earliest Alvars, Bhutam and Pey, have sung of
the Lord. In fact seven of the Alvars in all have sung His praises. It
was in this temple that Nathamuni redacted the Vaishnavaite Tamil hymns.
Tirumazhisai attained salvation here.
While the temple
structure dates back to the Pallava times and even earlier, the Lord's
shrine, which is in the form of a chariot, was built under the later
Cholas, in the 12th century.
A Traditional
Feature
According to the
tradition once a sage named Bhrugu, piqued by the fact that Lord Vishnu,
whom he went to see when He was in the company of the Goddess, ignored
him awhile, kicked him in the chest. The Lord merely asked whether his
feet were paining him. But the Goddess resented the Lord's indifference
to the insult and came down to the earth. After some time she realised
that she was in the wrong. To regain Her place by the Lord She began
severe penance on a thousand-petalled lotus in a tank named "Pottamarai",
in Kumbakonam.
Bhrugu was born
in his next birth as Guha, the boatman who helped Srirama, and
subsequently as a sage named Hema. He remembered that he had caused a
separation between the Lord and the Goddess and to expiate his sin he
began severe austerities.
Pleased with him,
the Lord asked what boon he wished for. He said that Goddess Laxmi
should be born as his daughter and that the Lord should marry Her. The
Lord granted the request. The sage came to Kumbakonam and adopted the
Goddess as his daughter, giving Her the name of "Komalavalli".
Subsequently the Lord, entering a chariot, named the "Vaidika
Vimana", believed to be an offshoot of the "Pranava Vimana"
of Srirangam and a replica of the one presented to Vibhishna at Sri
Rama's coronation, came to the Pottamarai tank in Kumbakonam.
Subsequently He married Komalavalli. There are two entrances to the
Ratha (chariot) shrine, both from the sides. Each is kept open for half
the year.
On the first tier
of the entrance Gopura there are labelled sculptures depicting the poses
prescribed in Bharatha's text on the dance. Some scholars believe that
they were brought here from another temple.
Sri Nageshwara
Temple
Possibly the
oldest in Kumbakonam, the Nageshwara temple dedicated to Lord Nataraja
is one of the finest early Chola temples, noted for the quality of its
sculpture. This temple is believed to have been completed during the
reign of Parantaka I (907-c.940). Though the temple is small but it is
known for its marvellous architecture that exceeds many of the other
Chola temples.
The Nataraja
shrine here is shaped in the form of a chariot, and the shrine dedicated
to the Sun God is of great sculptural significance.
Sri Chakrapani
Temple
The Sri
Chakrapani temple enshrines a legend according to which the Sun God
engaged in a competition with the Chakra, or the discuss, which Lord
Vishnu carries, as to who shone brighter. The discus triumphed. The Lord
allowed the Sun God to regain his brightness by retracting somewhat of
His discus' splendour. The Lord is called "Chakrapani". The
Goddess is "Vijayavalli Thayar".
Sri Ramaswami
Temple
Raghunatha, the
Nayak of Thanjavur, who ruled from 1600 to 1635, built the Sri Ramaswami
temple. It is said that the Nayak obtained the images of Sri Rama and
Sita when a tank was being dug. To enshrine them he built this splendid
temple about 1625. The Lord in the sanctum is in His coronation
ensemble, not in the customary standing Kodandarama one.
In the
Mahamandapa there are several pillars on which are sculptures depicting
the "Ramayana". The carvings are sharp, and at the same time,
they exude devotion. On the walls around the Prakara the
"Ramayana" is again told, this time in murals. These have been
often restored and renovated.
Festivals
Celebrated In The Adikumbeshwara Temple
The Great
Mahamaham festival celebrated in honour of Lord attracts lakhs of people
from far and wide and it takes place once in 12 years. It is celebrated
on the conjunction of the moon with the Mahanakshatra and Jupiter
crosses one Rashi or sign in about one year. It comes to Simha Rashi or
Leo every 13th year and it is considered especially sacred. It is
believed that on this auspicious day the tank receives supplies of water
from the Ganges and eight other holy rivers and all the deities are said
to remain present here on that occasion.
The Lord has a
number of festivals round the year. Every year in the month of Maasi
(February-March) a festival is conducted and the image of Lord
Kumbeshwara is taken out in a procession. It is celebrated for 10 days
during that period.
Others include,
Theppam festival during Panguni (March - April), Sapthathanam during
Chitirai month (April - May). During this festival Lord's idol will be
carried in a palanquin to the nearby villages. Marriage festival for
Lord Adikumbeshwara and Goddess Mangalambigai is conducted in the month
of Vaikasi (May - June). Daily pujas are conducted six times from
morning to evening.
Festival
Celebrated In The Nageshwara Temple
The annual
Bhramotsavam in the Nageshwara Temple is observed in the Tamil month of
Pankuni.
HOW TO GET
THERE
Air: Nearest
airports are Trichy (96-km) and Chennai (275-km).
Rail: Kumbakonam
has a railway station, which is well connected with the important towns
and cities within and beyond the state.
Road: Tamil Nadu
State Transport Corporation and Private buses are running daily to/from
Kumbakonam from Trichy, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Mannargudi,
Nagapattinam, Neyveli, Villupuram, Coimbatore, Madurai, Erode,
Chidambaram, Pondicherry, Cuddalore and Tirunelvelli.
WHERE TO STAY
Accommodation is
available at the moderate and economy class hotels, lodges and
choultries in Kumbakonam.
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