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Mahaamaham festival - Kumbakonam, Tamilnadu

Snippets

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There are 16 mandapams housing Lingams on the banks of the Mahaamaham tank. These mandapams were restored & Kumbabishekam was performed on 4, March 2004.

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The amirtham from the kudam fell upto a distance of 5 krosams & hence the temples in the area are known as Pancha Krosa Sthalangal.

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The darbai & the mango leaves were the first to fall off from the kudam. The darbai became a Lingam & the mango leaves into a Vanni tree.

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Jupiter (Guru) takes 4332 days to go round the sun. This is not exactly 12 years, but about 11.868 years. Hence, once in a while, Mahaamaham comes a little earlier in 11 years. This is known as Ilaya (young or early) Mahaamaham.
Ilaya Mahaamahams have been observed in 1529, 1600, 1683, 1778, 1862, 1956.

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King Krishna Devaraayar took a holy dip in the theertham during Mahaamaham on 24 Feb,1518 on a Wednesday. He gave a lot of gold & goods as charity on that day.

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King Ragunatha Nayakkar took a holy dip during Mahaamaham on 22 Feb, 1624 on a Sunday. He gave gold equal to his weight. The details of this dhaanam are found in the Tulaabaara Mandpam, one of the 16 mandapams on the bank of the Mahaamaha kulam.