Kumbakonam

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Kumbakonam (Tamil: கும்பகோணம் Kumpakōṇam [ kumbəko ɳʌm ː ] ) is a city in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated in Thanjavur district 40 km northeast of Thanjavur and 273 southwest of the capital Chennai in the northern part of the Cauvery delta between the Kaveri and the estuary Arasalar. The railway line from Cuddalore on Chidambaram to Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli performs Kumbakonam. With around 140,000 inhabitants ( 2011 census ) Kumbakonam is the second largest city in the district.

According to the myth of the pot (Sanskrit kumbha ) is the drink of immortality ( Amrita ) of the world Mount Meru swept away and landed at the place of Kumbakonam. God Shiva had then destroyed the vessel with an arrow and formed from the shards of a Linga, which should be in the center of the Kumbareshwara temple today. At the point at which the immortality drink flowed, according to the myth, is the Mahakha temple pond. This is held at the center of every twelve years to an astrologically exactly certain date in the Tamil month Masi ( January / February) held Mahamaham festival. Million pilgrims flock then to Kumbakonam to take a ritual bath in the temple pond, which supposedly fills at this time with holy Ganges water.

The main temple among the many sanctuaries in Kumbakonam is the temple Kumbareshwara. It dates from the period of the Chola rule in the 12th century. Other important temples are dedicated to Vishnu Sarangapati temple from the 13th century, which is visible from afar thanks to its 50 meters high gopurams and probably built in the 9th century Nageshwara Swami Temple. From a tourism point of view is of interest Kumbakonam also as a starting point for visiting the Chola temple of Darasuram (5 km southwest) and Gangaikonda Cholapuram (33 km north), which, with the Brihadishvara Temple of Thanjavur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the vicinity of Kumbakonam are also Swamimalai, one of six sanctuaries of the god Murugan, and several of the Navagraha temple, a group of nine Hindu temples in the Kaveri delta, which are associated with the heavenly bodies.

Kumbakonam is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Tamil Nadu. In 2011, the city recorded 5.4 million visitors. Traditionally, the main industry is the production of Kumbakonams brassware. In the fertile countryside surrounding the city also betel nuts are grown on a large scale.

Famous sons and daughters

• M. S. Swaminathan (* 1925), agronomist