Maha Magam Tank, Kumbakonam – Festivals
Maha Maham Festival is an annual
event that occurs in the Tamil
month of Masi (February–March) in the star
of Magam.
Once in twelve years, when the planet Guru (Jupiter)
enters the sign Simha (Leo),
the Kumbh
mela festival of South India is celebrated at Mahamaham tank. Vast crowds gather at Kumbakonam to have a dip in the tank, along
with saints and philosophers. All the rivers of India are believed to meet at
the tank on this day and a purificatory bath at this tank on this day is
considered equal to the combined dips in all the holy rivers of India.
Festival deities from all the
temples in Kumbakonam arrive at the tank and at noon, all the deities bathe
along with the devotees - it is called "Theerthavari". The
purificatory bath is believed to remove sins and after the dip, pilgrims offer
charitable gifts in the hope of being rewarded in the current life and
subsequent lives. The temple cars of major temples in Kumbakonam come around
the city on the festival night. The last Mahamaham was celebrated on February
22, 2016 with over a million people from various places taking the holy dip
in the Mahamaham tank.
The Temples
Temples connected with Mahamaham
festival which happens once in 12 years in Kumbakonam. They are;
Shiva Temples:
Vishnu Temples:
Mahamaham Day Worship
On the Mahamaham day, people
start with praying these Siva temples. This is continued by dips in the 20
wells, visit to Kumbeswarar Temple, dip in the holy tank and finally in Kaveri
river to complete the process. On the occasion of the festival,
metal idols of the deities of the main temples of Kumbakonam is carried on
palanquins or chariots and taken around the different streets of the town.
There is an oft quoted popular saying in Sanskrit noting Kumbakonam as
even as more sacred than Varanasi (Kasi). A sin committed at some
ordinary place is washed off by a visit to a holy place,
sin done in a sacred spot
is washed off by going on a pilgrimage to Varanasi (Kasi).
If one dares to commit a sin in that sacred city too, that sin is wiped off
at Kumbakonam and
any sinful act done at Kumbakonam is atoned there itself.
