Maha
Magam Tank, Kumbakonam,
Thanjavur
Mahamaham Tank is a huge
temple tank located in Kumbakonam Town in Thanjavur District of Tamil
Nadu. It is considered to be the foremost and one of the largest temple tanks
in Tamil
Nadu. It covers an area of 6.2 acres and is trapezoidal in shape.
The tank is surrounded by 16 small Mandapams (shrines) and has 20 wells
inside the tank. 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. It draws close to 2 million visitors.
Legends
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History
The antiquity of the Mahamaham
is deduced from the architectural and epigraphical patterns. In the northern
bank mandapa, there is an inscription of Tulapurshadana, a practice of weighing
oneself against gold. The ceremony is observed during various times like
equinoxes, commencement of an era (Yuga) and its ending, eclipses and Makara
Sankranti. The ceremony is usually performed in sacred places like
temples, rivers and tanks. The amount of gold thus weighed is distributed among
deserving men. Govinda Dikshitar, the chieftain of Raghunatha Nayak of Thanjavur,
constructed the sixteen Mandapams and stone steps around this
tank. The visit of Krishandevaraya during 1445 to attend the Maha Magam
festival is recorded in an inscription in the gopuram of Nagalapuram and is
also recorded in the inscription found in the Shiva temple in Kuthalam.
The Tank
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Festivals
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Religious
Significance
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Literary
Mention
Bhavishya
Purana mentions the importance of Mahamaham and the importance
of the festival as a narrative of Shiva to
all celestial deities as under:
“Let all of you this very day go
to Kumbakonam, a spot dear to me and to Vishnu and
bathe there is the nectar full tank created by the directions of the Parabrahman.
Do bathe in the presence of Kumbesvara in Vrishabha lagna on this Mahamagam
day, the full-moon day combined with Mahga star with Jupiter in the sign of
Leo. Thereby you will get rid of all your accumulated sins and regain power to
wipe off the sins of others”
Sekkizhar, saint author of Periyapuranam notes
the holy rivers as;
“பூமருவும் கங்கை முதல் புனிதமாம் பெருந்தீர்த்தம்
மாமகந்தான் ஆடுவதற்கு வந்து வழி படுங்கோவில்”
மாமகந்தான் ஆடுவதற்கு வந்து வழி படுங்கோவில்”
meaning a dip in the holy tank
on the Mahamaham day is equivalent to dip in all holy rivers and leads to
worldly prosperity.
Appar, the
7th-century saint poet mentions the subtle presence of holy rivers like the
Ganges in the Mahamaham tank in Thiruthandakam.
“தாவிமுதற் காவிரிநல் யமுனை கங்கை
சரஸ்வதிபொற் றாமரைபுட் கரணி தெண்ணீர்க்
கோவியோடு குமரிவரு தீர்த்தஞ் சூழ்ந்த
குடந்தைக்கீழ் கோட்டத்தெங் கூத்தனாரே"
சரஸ்வதிபொற் றாமரைபுட் கரணி தெண்ணீர்க்
கோவியோடு குமரிவரு தீர்த்தஞ் சூழ்ந்த
குடந்தைக்கீழ் கோட்டத்தெங் கூத்தனாரே"
Connectivity
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Location