Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam is one of the oldest places in South India and was the capital of the Chola kings in the 7th century. It is 350km south of Chennai, 70km southwest of Chidambaram, and 40km northeast of Thanjavur. The rivers Kaveri (Cauvery) and Arasalar flow on the two sides of Kumbakonam.

There are about 18 templ.es in the center of town dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva. There is also a rare Brahma temple here. The Sarangapani Temple is one of the most important Vishnu temples in South India. Kumbakonam is named after Kumbakarna, the brother of Ravana.

Information
The Indian Bank and State Bank are opposite each other on TSR Big St. They may not change money. The closest place to change money is Thanjavur.

The post office is on Head Post Office Rd, near the Mahamakam Tank.

There is a place to hire a bicycle opposite the New Diamond Lodge, Nagesvaran North St.

The town is a little spread out, but most of the temples are within walking distance of each other. All the temples in Kumbakonam are closed between 12.30 and 4.30 pm.

NOTE Some of the temples have impressive jewelry collections, which often can be seen for a donation.

Sarangapani Temple
This temple is considered to be one of the most important Vishnu temples in South India, along with Srirangam and Tirupati. Seven of the Alwars sang the glories of this temple. Most of the temple was built by the Nayak kings between the 13th and 17th centuries, but the central shrine dates to the end of the Chola period. It is the largest Vishnu temple in Kumbakonam, and it has a gopuram 44m (146 ft) high.

There are many deities in the temple. The Lord’s consort is Sri Komalavalli (Lakshmi), whose shrine is located in the north part of the temple, to your right as you enter the temple. The main central shrine resembles a chariot, with elephants and horses carved on the basement. There are many carvings on the walls of this shrine. Bathing in the Hema Pushkarani Tank next to the temple is considered very auspicious.

The temple has two big carts. It also has a silver cart for special occasions, such as the first day of Tai (January-February). On Vaikuntha Ekadasi there is a big festival in the temple. Another big festival is Mattai Adi in January-February.

Kumbeswara Temple
This is the largest and oldest Siva temple in town. Its main gopuram is 38.5m (128 ft) high and it has many intricately carved sculptures on it.

There is an excellent collection of silver vahanas (palanquins) used to carry the deities at festival times. There is a shrine dedicated to Adi Vinayaka (Ganesh). It is said that Vinayaka came to this place before Lord Siva. There are also images of the 63 Nayanmar Shaivite poets. It is located in the center of town.

Rama Swami Temple
The Nayak King Raghunath built this temple in the 16th and 17th century. This temple has Deities of Lord Rama and his three brothers. As you enter the temple there are several exquisite pillars with sculptures of events from the Ramayana. On the walls around the temples are beautiful paintings of the Ramayana pastimes.

Nageswara Temple
This is a Siva temple that dates to 886 AD. The sculptures in this temple are some of the best of the Chola period. Statues of Dakshinamurti (Siva as a teacher) in the south, Brahma, and Ardanariswara (Siva, as half man and half women) in the west are on the outside walls of the inner shrine. The rays of the sun enter the inner sanctum through the openings in the gopuram three times a year. The rays of the sun fall right on the Siva-linga, and this is considered to be worship by Surya, the Sun god.

Sri Cakrapani Temple
This is an important temple dedicated to the all-powerful disc of Lord Vishnu. The cakra (disc) of Lord Vishnu is called Sudarsana, which means “auspicious vision.” The Sudarsana cakra is always concerned with annihilating the demons. The illuminating principles in this world such as the sun, the moon, and fire emanate from the effulgence of Sudarsana. Similarly, illumination by knowledge also comes from Sudarsana, because with the illumination of Sudarsana one can distinguish one thing from another, the superior from the inferior.

Mahamakam Tank
A major festival is held at the sacred Mahamakam Tank once every 12 years, on the full moon day in the month of Magh (Jan/Feb), when Jupiter passes over Leo. At this time the waters of the Ganges, Yamuna, and seven other sacred rivers (Godavari, Kaveri, Krishna, Narmada, Saraswati, Tungabhadra, and Sarayu) are supposed to flow into the tank. As many as two million people came in February 1992. The next major festival is in 2004.

Every year there is a smaller festival in the month of Magh, when the image of Lord Kumbeswara is taken on procession. The tank covers an area of 20 acres and is by the railway station.

Temples in the Area
A temple dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya is in Swamimalai, 6km from Kumbakonam. The Kampahareswara Siva Temple at Thirubuvanam is 8km away.

Where to Stay—Lower
New Diamond Lodge (243-0870), 93 Nageswaran North St, has clean rooms with common bath for Rs 80/95 and with bath for Rs 140/200.
Chellam Lodge (23896), nearby at 57 Ayikulam Rd, has clean rooms for Rs 80/120.
Pandiyan Lodge (243-0397), 52 Sarangapani East St, has clean rooms with bath for Rs 150/250 and is a good value.
PRV Lodge, 32 Head Post Office Rd, has rooms for Rs 100/130 and Rs 550 with A/C.
Kasi Towers, 140 TSR Big Street, by the Hotel AAR, has basic rooms for Rs 100/140 and rooms with A/C for Rs 300.
Femina Lodge (421-369), 8 Head Post Office Rd, has clean double rooms with bath for Rs 200. It is a good value.

Where to Stay—Middle
There are no upper-class hotels in Kumbakonam
Hotel ARR, (242-1152), 21 TSR Big Street, is a good place with rooms for Rs 400/450 and Rs 700/800 with A/C. It is centrally located, near the temples.
VPR Lodge and Hotel Siva (421-820), 104 TSR Big St, share the same reception. The VPR Lodge has basic rooms for Rs 125. The Hotel Siva has large, but featureless rooms with hot water for Rs 250 and Rs 400 with A/C. The rooms are really impersonal.
Hotel Tamil Nadu (30422), Poompuhar Rd, nears the Art College, north of town, has rooms for Rs 150 and Rs 350 with A/C. Rs 50 extra for a TV. It has a nice garden.
Hotel Raya’s (242-2545; fax: 242-2479), 28-29 Head Post Office Rd, near the Mahamakam Tank, has smallish, clean, modern rooms for Rs 650/850 and Rs 900/1000 with A/C.
Hotel Athitya (242-1794), 11-12 Thanjavur Main Road, is in a quiet part of town and has rooms that are a good value for Rs 550/600 with bath and Rs 650/700 with A/C. It has a restaurant.

Where to Eat
Arul Restaurant, Sarangapani East St, opposite the Pandiyan Lodge, is a good vegetarian place with thalis ranging from Rs 15 to Rs 50. It has an A/C room upstairs.
PRV Lodge, 52 Sarangapani East St, has a good, cheap vegetarian restaurant. A thali meal is Rs 18.
Hotel ARR has a vegetarian restaurant along with a non-vegetarian restaurant.
A&A Veg Restaurant, Ayikulam Rd is a good reasonably price vegetarian good place.
Hotel Raya’s has a restaurant.

Travel
Kumbakonam is on the bank of the Kaveri River, 68km southwest of Chidambaram and 311km south of Chennai.

Train The railway station is just east of the Mahamakam Tank, about 2km from the main temple area. There are trains to Chennai (8 hr, 4 daily), Chengalpattu (6½ hr), Tiruchirappalli (3 daily), Chidambaram, and Thanjavur (3 daily). There is a good train to Chennai at about 8.30 am which takes about 8 hours.

Bus The bus station is north of the Mahamakam Tank, southeast of the center of town, about a ten-minute auto-rickshaw ride from the main temple area. There are regular buses to Chidambaram, Pondicherry, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli (4 hr), Chennai (7½ hr, 4 daily), Tiruvannamalai and Bangalore. Buses depart to Thanjavur (half-hour) via Dharasuram and Gangaikondacholapuram every few minutes.

Dharasuram
The impressive Airavateswara Siva Temple is located across the Arasalar River in Dharasuram, 5km southwest of Kumbakonam. Architecturally it is one of the finest and most important temples amongst those built during the Chola period. This temple was built by Raja Raja II (1146-63) in the 12th century. Airavateswara means “the Lord of Airavata,” who is the elephant carrier of Indra. This temple has impressive sculptures. The hall in the northwest part of the temple is especially interesting.

You enter the temple through two gateways. After you pass the second gate you come to a large courtyard, 240m east to west and 100m north to south. In the center of the courtyard is the temple. In front of the temple are columns with small, detailed sculptures on them. The temple is entered from the south. You then enter a hall with pillars which have pastimes of Siva carved on them. The main mandapa (hall) is connected to the main sanctum (altar). In the niches approaching the main shrine are fantastic carvings.

In the inner shrine there are impressive sculptures: one of Ardhararisvara with eight arms and three heads, and a Nataraja with four arms with snake hoods over his head. On the outside west walls there is a sculpture of Siva coming out of a linga. On the north wall there is Brahma and Dakshinamurti (Siva) is on the south wall.

There is a museum in the northeast corner of the temple. There is a priest here who speaks good English and is a guide for the temple. This place can be reached by a short bus ride from Kumbakonam or a nice bicycle ride from there.

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