26. SRI ADHI KUMBESWARASWAMY TEMPLE AT KUDANTHAI KUDAMUKKU (KUMBAKONAM)

Devara Paadal Petra Sthalam	143rd Shiva Sthalams(One of the Devara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam)
Region	Chola Naadu - South
Chola Naadu - South	26th Shiva Sthalam
Pathigam	Saint Thirugnanasambanthar, Saint Thirunavukarasar (Appar)

HISTORY:

Kumbakonam is situated on the banks of the river Cauvery. Cauvery and Arasalaru rivers flow in such a manner that they look like garlands adorning this place. This temple has been in existence since the Chola times (7th century) and has been widely expanded by the Nayaks during the 15-17th century.

Saptastanam temples:

The Saptastanam temples associated with this temple are Kalayanallur, Thiru Valanchuzhi, Darasuram, Swamimalai, Kottiayur, Kumbakonam and Melaikkaveri.
12 famous Shiva temples:

12 famous Shiva temples participate in the renowned “Mahaamaham” festival during which “Theerthavaari” happens in the Mahaamaha tank. This festival is celebrated once in 12 years in Kumbakonam.

These 12 Shiva temples are:
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.Amirthakalasanathar Temple, Kalayanallur
9.Bhanapureeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam
10.Abhimukeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam
11.Aathikambatta Visvanathar Temple, Kumbakonam and
12.Ekambareswarar Temple, Kumbakonam.

5 Vaishnava temples:

5 Vaishnava temples from Kumbakonam also participate in this festival. However, instead of their Theerthavaari in Mahaamaha tank, the Theerthavaari happens in the river Kaveri.

These Vaishnava temples are:

1. Sri Saarangapani temple
2. Sri Chakrapaani temple
3. Sri Ramaswami temple
4. Sri Rajagopalaswami temple and
5. Sri Aadhivaraha Perumal temple.

Pralayam:

At the end of every “yuga”, there is a huge flood that leads to the destruction of all living beings in the earth. This is called the “Pralayam”.  Lord Shiva, through Lord Brahma, arranged for the seeds of all living organisms and four Vedas and Puranas to be put in a pot (“Amutha Kalas” or Kumbham or Kudam in Tamil) filled with nectar (“amirtham”). This was decorated with flowers and cloth and a string was tied to it. This was kept on top of the Mount Kailash. When the Maha Pralayam started, it destroyed all living creatures on the earth. The Amutha Kalas also got displaced and started floating on the seas for years. Eventually when the Pralayam stopped, the Kalas settled in Kumbakonam. Then Lord Shiva took the form of a hunter (Kiratha Murthy) and split open the pot with his arrow. The life on earth started flourishing again.

Shivalingams:

Lord Shiva opened the pot with his arrow, the pot broke and the decorative items on it fell in various places across the earth. Each of these pieces became Shivalingams.

These places are –

1.Kumbesam – this is the place where the Amutha Kalas stayed. This is presently known as Sri Aadhi Kumbeswarar temple (“Aadhi” means “the very beginning”). It is believed that Lord Kiratha Murthy himself made a Shivalingam with the broken pieces of the Kalas by mixing nectar and sand with it. He worshiped this lingam and stayed back in this place. The Shivalingam is in the shape of the neck of a pot (“Kudamukku” in Tamil).

2. Somesam – This is the place where the Kalas’s string (“Uri” / “Sikkam” in Tamil) fell. This place is presently known as Sri Someswarar temple.

3.  Nagesam – This is the place where the Kalas’s “vilvam” (leaf used in poojas) fell.  This place is presently known as Sri Nageswarar temple.

4. Abhimugesam – This is the place where the Kalas’s coconut fell. This place is presently known as Sri Abhimugeswarar temple.

5. Gautamesam – This is the place where the Kalas’s sacred thread fell.  This place is presently known as Sri Gautameswarar temple.

6. Kudavoil - This is the place where the Kalas’s rim fell. This place is presently known as Sri Koneswarar temple at Kudavasal.

7. Kalayanallur (Saakkottai) – This is the place where the mid-portion of the Kalas fell. This place is presently known as Sri Amirthakalasa Nathar temple.

8. Bhanathurai, - This is the place where Lord Shiva broke the Kalas with his arrow. This place is presently known as Sri Bhanapureeswarar temple.

9. Maalathivanam – This is the place where the Kalas’s flowers fell.  This place is presently known as Sri Aathikampatta Viswanathar temple.

10. Sri Kalahastheeswarar Koil – This is the place where the Kalas’s “Chandan” fell.

11.Sri Ekambareswarar temple - This is the place where the Kalas’s other decorative items fell.

12. Kottaiyur Sri Koteeswarar temple - This is the place where some drops of the nectar fell.

The nectar from the Kalas is believed to have reached the Mahaamaham and Potraamarai tanks.

Kumbakonam:

This nectar is also believed to have spread around an area of about 24 kms. In this radius, there are five Shiva temples which are known as “Panchakurosa Sthalams” (“pancha means five and “kurosa” is a unit of measurement used in ancient times). These temples are Thiruvidaimaruthur, Koranattu Karuppur, Thirunageswaram, Swamimalai, and Dharasuram

Anecdotally, since the Kalas (also called Kumbam) settled in this place, it gets the name of “Kumbakonam”.

Lord Mahavishnu:

Lord Mahavishnu worshiped the lord here and was given the disc (“Chakkaram”) by Lord Shiva. Hence Lord Mahavishnu is praised as Sri Chakrapaani. In a similar incident, Lord Mahavishnu was also given the bow (“Sarangam”) by Lord Shiva. For this reason, Lord Mahavishnu is also praised as Sri Saarangapaani.

14 holy water bodies:

There is a popular saying in Sanskrit - Kumbakonam is more sacred than Varanasi (Kasi). A sin committed at some place can be washed away by visiting a neaby holy place.  A sin committed in one of the sacred places is washed away by going on a pilgrimage to Varanasi. However, if one commits a sin in Varanasi itself, it can only be washed off in Kumbakonam. Similarly, any sinful act done at Kumbakonam is washed away there itself.

There are 14 holy water bodies (Theerthams) associated with this temple. These are-
1. Mahamaham tank,
2. Potramarai tank,
3. Varuna Theertham,
4. Kasyapa Theertham,
5. Chakkara Theertham,
6. Matanga Theertham  
7. Bhagavad Theertham)
8. Mangala Theertham,
9. Naga Theertham,
10. Kura Theertham
11. Chandra Theertham,
12. SuryaTheertham,
13. Gautama Theertham and
14. Varaha Theertham.

Huge Mahamaha tank:

The huge Mahamaha tank covers of an area of about 6 acres and it has 16 entrances. At each entrance, there is a shrine for Lord Shiva. These shrines are collectively called “Sodasa Mahalingaswamy” (“Sodasam means 16 in Tamil). The names of these 16 Shivalingams are –
1. Brahmatheertheswarar
2. Mukuntheswarar
3. Thaneswarar
4. Vrushabeswarar
5. Baneswarar
6. Koneswarar
7. Bakthikeswarar
8. Bairaveswarar
9. Agastheeswarar
10. Vyaseswarar
11. Uma Bakeswarar
12. Nirutheeswarar
13. Brahmeswarar
14. Gangathareswarar
15. Mukthi Theertheswarar
16. Kshetrabaleswarar.

Mahamaha Theertham is known as -
Brahma Theertham in “Kruthayugam”
Papanodam in “Threthayugam”
Mukthi Theertham in “Thuvabarayugam” and
Kanya Theertham in Kaliyugam.

People who worshipped here:

It is also believed that Lord Brahma, Indran, Kamadhenu, Sages Kasyaba and Hemarishi have worshiped the lord here.

SALIENT FEATURE:

·        This temple is one of the Shakti Peetas where Goddess Mangalambigai is known as Manthira Peeteswari. Lord Shiva gave away half of his strength to Goddess Parvathy and married her.

·        This is the first of the 51 Shakti Peetas.

·        Moorka Nayanar (Narchuthar), one of the 63 Nayanmars, is believed to have offered foods to devotees before attaining salvation here. This east facing temple with main tower (Rajagopuram) has 9-tiers and is at a height of 128 feet. 

·        This temple is one of the participating temple in the Mahaamaham Theerthavaari.

·        There is a separate shrine for Lord Kiratha Murthy (also known as “Veta” Murthy) here. This is unique to this temple as it commemorates the legend that Lord Shiva himself reinstated life back on earth.  

·        Since the lingam is made of sand, the abhishekam is performed only to the base (Aavudayar). Only “Punugu” (civet) is applied to the lingam once in a while. The lingam is big in size (“Mahalingam”) and it is in an inclined position. It is always covered with gold sheets (“kavasam”).

·        Lord Murugan is called Karthikeyan here. The uniqueness of this lord’s idol is that he is seen with his consorts and his peacock mount. He is depicted with six faces but with only 6 hands instead of 12.

·        There is one unfinished main tower (Rajagopuram) here which is called “mottai gopuram”. This is a well-known land mark of the temple.

·        This temple is considered to be significant for its three important attributes – Moorthy, Sthalam and Theertham - glory of Lord, sacredness of the land and the auspicious temple tank.

·        In this temple, there are many halls, the most notable one is the sixteen-pillared hall, also called the “Navarathiri Mandapam” (Hall of Navarathri celebration), built during the Vijayanagar period. This has all the 27 stars and 12 zodiac signs sculpted in a single stone.

·        Each and every tower, hall, pillar, relief, sculpture and idol here is very artistically made. There is a stone “Nagaswaram” (pipe instrument) which is quite unique.

·        The Mahamaham festival takes place once in every twelve years during the Tamil Month of Masi (February - March), when lakhs of pilgrims from various parts of India visit Kumbakonam to take a holy dip in the sacred Mahamaham tank which is located in the heart of the town. After the dip here, devotees also take a dip in the nearby Potramarai tank and in the river Kaveri (Sakkara Padithurai bathing ghat).

·        There are 20 wells and Theerthams inside the Mahamaha tank, these are theerthams dedicated to Indra, Agni, Naga, Thiruthi, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera, Eesanya, Brahma, Ganga, Yamuna, Godhavari, Narmada, Saraswati, kaveri, Kumari, Bayoshini, Sarayu, Kanniya and Devas.

TEMPLE INFORMATION:

Moolavar	Sri Adhi Kumbeswarar, Sri Amutheswarar
Ambal	Sri Mangalambigai Amman
Theertham	Mahamaham and Potramarai tanks and 12 more
Sthala Vriksham	Vanni

BELIEF:

It is believed that there is no substitute for taking a dip here on the auspicious day of Maham (every year) and Mahamaham (once in 12 years) and worshipping the lord for absolution and relief from the sins of one’s previous birth.

Devotees pray to Goddess Mangalambikai for excellence in education and to seek the boons for early marriage and child birth (“Santhana Prapthi”).

TEMPLE FESTIVAL:

Tamil Month	English Month	Festival Name
Maasi	Feb-Mar	“Maasi Maham” Brahmotsavam

HOW TO REACH:

Kudanthai Kudamukku, now popularly known as Sri Kumbeswaraswamy temple, is situated in the heart of Kumbakonam town. It is on the Chidambaram to Tanjure via Mayiladuthurai route. It is about 35 kms from Mayiladuthurai. Kumbakonam has a railway station and this temple is about 2 kms away from the station.

TEMPLE ADDRESS:

Sri Adhi Kumbeswaraswamy Temple,
Kumbakonam,
Tanjure,
Tamil Nadu – 612 001.

LOCATION: