Mahamaham
mahamaham also known mahamagham mamangam hindu festival celebrated every year mahamaham tank located city kumbakonam tamil nadu south india acre square tank surrounded shiva mandapams believed tamil hindu ancient holy confluence nine indian river goddess ganga yamuna sarasvati narmada godavari krishna tungabhadra kaveri sarayu state diana eck – professor comparative religion indian study day mahamaham festival river goddess shiva gather rejuvenate water according legend periya purana hindu consider taking pilgrimage holy dip mahamaham tirtha day mahamaham festival sacred event attracts chariot procession street fair classical dance performance temple mandapas year cycle mahamaham festival tamil nadu observed hindu calendar month magha symbolic equivalent kumbh mela mahamaham festival – also referred maha magam festival – holy dip tradition south indian hindu documented british colonial era writer th century last mahamaham celebrated february million people various place taking holy dip mahamaham tank festival dipinthetankwaters tradition extends day brahmothsavam day festivity also observed lesser crowd magha month february every year year maha major cycle interim year event called masimaham festival mahamaham tank surrounded small temple mandapas vedic puranic deity shiva linga sanctum also feature big kashi vishwanathar temple north entrance temple gate image shiva nine indian river goddess ganga yamuna sarasvati narmada godavari krishna tungabhadra kaveri sarayu portion periya purana inscribed inside mandapas temple complete legend found inner wall kumbheshvara temple near water pool according legend end cyclic existence mahapralaya great flood shiva helped save creation floating seed creation amritam nectar immortality pot kumbha flood subsided pot came rest ground broken arrow shiva hunter form spilled content large pool became mahamaham tank another legend painted pictorially show brahma instructed shiva preserve seed creation life form giant kumbha pot great flood float meru survives flood flood end pot come rest near bank kaveri river place called kumbhakonam shiva form kiratamoorty hunter break water inside pot becomes mahamaham tank coconut top pot break becomes lingas pot part memorialized many mandapa temple near tank kumbhakunam region kumbeswara someswara kasi viswanatha nageswara kamata viswanatha abimukeshwara goutameswara banapuriswara varahar lakshminaryana sarangapani chakrapani varadharaja astronomically maha maham magha festival celebrated month full moon occurs moon passing magha nakshatra leo sign sun end opposite aquarius sign kumnha rasi mahamagham occurs twelve year planet jupiter residence leo coincides fullmoon leo day festival month magha believed bring water body together water rejuvenated antiquity event deduced architectural epigraphy visit krishnadevaraya – recorded inscription gopuram nagalpuram village chengalpattu district krishnadevaraya visited event also recorded inscription found shiva temple kuthalam ceiling gangatirtha mandapam carry sculptural representation tulapurushardava believed thcentury nayak era prime minister govinda dikshitar attended event donated gold help build sixteen mandapas tank significant particularly south indian hindu festival symbolic equivalent kumbh mela pilgrimage prayaga uttar pradesh masimaham annual event occurs kumbakonam tamil month masi february–march star magam vast crowd hindu devotee gather kumbakonam dip tank river india believed meet tank day purificatory bath tank day considered equal combined dip holy river india festival deity temple kumbakonam arrive tank noon deity bathe along devotee called theerthavari purificatory bath believed remove sin dip pilgrim offer charitable gift hope rewarded current life subsequent life temple car major temple kumbakonam come around city festival night mahamaham number devotee estimated one million time mahamaham festival believed famous indian river goddess ganges yamuna sarasvati river sarayu godavari river tungabhadra river alternately mahanadi river narmada river krishna river kaveri river arrive rejuvenate get repurified ganga shiva blessing cyclic event make sacred site water holy cleanse one sin may committed absorbed others mixed together mahamaham tank would get rid sin image deity indicating legend housed nearby kasi viswanatha temple northern bank mandapa inscription tulapurshadana practise weighing oneself gold ceremony observed various time like equinox commencement era yuga ending eclipse makara sankranti ceremony usually performed sacred place like temple river tank amount gold thus weighed distributed among deserving men tank located heart kumbakonam city near kaveri river tank temple premise spread acre water pool ghatlike step cover area acre square original design infrastructure upgrade extension made somewhat trapezoidal shape tank surrounded small mandapams shrine well inside tank name well carry name lord shiva river india govinda dikshitar chieftain ragunatha nayak thanjavur constructed sixteen mandapams stone step around tank mahamaham tank four street along four bank constructed step side people easily access tank take dip mandapas gopuram tower around corner side tank tower considered form shiva brammatheertheshwarar mukundeshwarar dhaneshwarar virushabeshwarar baaneshwarar koneshwarar bhakthikeshwarar bhairaveshwarar agasthyeshwarar vyaneshwarar umaibakeshwarar nairutheeshwarar brammeshwarar gangatheshwarar mukthatheertheshwarar shethrabaleshwarar vayu theertham ganga theertham bramma theertham yamuna theertham kubera theertham godavari theertham eshana theertham narmada theertham saraswathi theertham indira theertham agni theertham cauvery theertham yama theertham kumari theertham niruthi theertham bayoshni theertham deva theertham varunai theertham sarayu theertham kanya theertham mahamaham day people start praying siva temple followed dip holy tank devouts follow exhaustive procedure dip well visit kumbeswarar temple dip holy tank finally kaveri river complete process celebration including public chariot parade fare featuring sanctum idol main temple kumbakonam brought public viewing carried wooden chariot different street town twelve shiva temple connected mahamaham festival happens year kumbakonam kasi viswanathar temple kumbeswarar temple someswarar temple nageswara temple ekambareswarar temple gowthameswarar temple abimukeswarar temple kambatta visvanathar temple banapuriswarar temple kalahasteeswarar temple koteeswarar temple amirthakalasanathar temple twelve first ten temple located kumbakonam town temple kumbakonam five vishnu temple connected festival sarangapani temple chakrapani temple ramaswamy temple rajagopalaswamy temple varahaperumal temple temple kumbakonam mahamaham stampede mamankam tirunavaya kerala mahamaham celebration mahamaham festival