The Mahamaham festival is celebrated in the honour of Lord Adi Kumbeswara at Kumbakonam. This festival attracts lakhs of people from far and wide and takes place once in 12 years. The center of the Mahamaham festival is the Mahamaham Tank, a holy pool of nectar that flowed out of Lord Brahma's Kumbha after it was broken by Lord Shiva's arrow shot. The Mahamaham tank, trapezoidal, (looking rectangular) in shape covers roughly an area of about five acres and a half with a full capacity depth of ten feet. It is believed that on this auspicious day the tank receives supplies of water from the Ganges and eight other holy rivers and all the deities are said to remain present here on that occasion. Mahamaham bathing festival is concentrated on a single day, the concourse of pilgrims being all the more. The festival at Haridwar , Allahabad , Nashik and those in Andhra Pradesh happen to be bathing in river while the Mahamaham is bathing in a tank, generally followed or preceded by a dip in the River Cauvery at Kumbakonam.
Fair & Festivals