Tripnomadic/India

Attractions

Temples

Altitude

24 m

STD Code

0435

Best Season

October to March

State/Code

Kumbakonam/612001

LANGUAGES

Tamil

OVERVIEW

Kumbakonam Travel Guide

Kumbakonam is one of the towns in Thanjavur distinct from Tamilnadu. Kaveri river and Arasalar Temple bound the town on the sides. It was spelt as Coombaconum in British India. The English meaning of the city is Poy’s corner and associated with the religious myth. More population accumulate in the city on the festival of Mahamaham, commemorated once in twelve years.

Locally people call it the Baskarashetram, Kumbam and kudanthai in early times. It is highly associated with tragedic events such as during The Mahamaham festival of 1992, the major stampede killed forty-eight. In 2004, a fire accident in the school killed ninety-four children. The city lies in the old delta region. Agriculture is the primary source of income for people living here. The crops are living under irrigation from Grand Anicut and Vadavar canal. Rice cultivation is the main crop. But mulberries, cereals, and sugarcane grow well here through Mettur Dam irrigation. Many mathas known as monasteries are also popular here. These are the few tourist spots of Kumbakonam.

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Best Tourists Places In Kumbakonam

  • Aadi Kumbeshwarar Temple
  • Nageswaraswamy temple
  • Mahamaham Tank
  • Kasi Viswanathar Temple
  • Kumbakonam Town Hall

Aadi Kumbeshwarar Temple

As the city is the land of temples, this is the most beautiful among them. Chola dynasty built the temple during their reign. Lord Shiva is the presiding deity of the temple. A lot of foreigners visit here to explore the spirituality and devotion of Hindus every year. There is a lingam made in the temple to depict Aadi Kumbeshawarar. It holds an iconic structure, and people can witness the prominent statue of lingam places in the centre. Devotees can see the majestic deity in a fabulous beauty during the festival times. The female goddess standing with him is Mangalambigai. Like other temples, this temple also has its building skill and carvings. Many inscriptions on the top of the temple mean its uniqueness.

Nageswaraswamy temple

Here is one of the prettiest temple having huge paintings and sculptures on its top. Aditya Chola constructed the temple in the ninth century. This temple exposes the art of building technology, astronomy and architectural style followed during the Chola dynasty. It is one of the main Shiva temples in Kumbakonam. This temple holds the pride of celebrating the Mahamaham festival once in twelve years. The temple provides solitude and tranquillity to the mind and soul. Morning prayer in the temple refreshes the mind. Nageshwaran, the lord Shiva is the presiding deity here.

Mahamaham Tank

It serves as the heart of Kumbakonam and is the giant tank in Tamilnadu. It attracts lots of tourists every year. Especially during the Masimaham festival, around one lakh tourists visit the place. Masimaham festival is the grand festival of locals and almost for all Tamilians. There are twenty-one wells constitutes in the tank, and each well was dedicated to a god. Attending the festival is indispensable because the tank holds lots and lots of crowd during the time. In the festival, people drown and wake in the sacred tank to worship god. Kumbh Mela festival is also the same type of festival celebrated once in twelve years.

Kasi Viswanathar Temple

It is another ancient temple in Kumbakonam. The whole temple occupies silence. Like all temples, the presiding God in the temple is also Lord Shiva. This place will serve devotional lovers. The temple replenishes and rejuvenates your soul. It also holds the idol of Goddess Parvati as Visalakshi in the temple. It was also known as “Nava Kanniyar” locally. This place is also located on the banks of the Mahamaham tank. Meditation in both periods suits the site.

Kumbakonam Town Hall

The hall is a highly antique white structure that magnetises you with its charm. Tourists hardly visit this place, but this is the mind-blowing site to view in Kumbakonam. When you come around the city searching for some historical pieces, you will find this in the heart of the town. At the entrance, you will notice an idol of Lord Krishna with his flute in the centre. A certain distance from the model is the entry of the hall. It is a perfect picture spot to click photographs on your camera. Photography lovers get a mesmerising background in this place. It offers a good climate, and trees surround the area for ventilation.
The city is only for people who seek devotion and spirituality. A great fan of Lord Shiva will take an annual tour to this place. Besides the five, many other temples near the Kumbakonam town like Pateeswarar temple, Thenupuriswarar temple and Oppiliappan temple. Sarangani temple has the giant Vishnu statue and one of the Divya Desams. The Ramaswamy temple has associated with the Hindu epic Ramayana. Airavatheeswrar temple at Darasuram built by Raja Raja Chola, and a whole heritage site is in the town’s vicinity. Older Chakrapani temple, a commercial street in the city. As said above, the city also holds numerous matha like Raghavendra matha and Vaishnava Ahobila Mutt. Besides temples, Degree coffee and Lamp are the famous stuff of Kumbakonam. Take a sip of Degree coffee if you had a chance!