Maha Magam Tank, Kumbakonam – Festivals

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:

1. Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Kumbakonam

2. Aadhi Kumbeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam

3. Someswarar Temple, Kumbakonam

4. Nageswarar (Vilvavaneswarar) Temple, Kumbakonam

5. Kalahasteeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam

6. Gauthameswarar (Upaveethanathar) Temple, Kumbakonam

7. Koteeswarar Temple, Kottaiyur

8. Sakkottai Amirthakalasa Nathar Temple, Kalayanallur

9. Banapureeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam

10. Abhimukeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam

11. Aadhi Kambatta Visvanathar Temple, Kumbakonam

12. Ekambareswarar Temple, Kumbakonam

Vishnu Temples:

1.    Saarangapani Temple, Kumbakonam

2.    Chakrapani Temple, Kumbakonam

3.    Ramaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam

4.    Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam

5.    Aadhi Varaha Perumal Temple, Kumbakonam

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.