I was in
Kumbakonam for a couple of days last month. This temple town in Tamil Nadu that dates back to the 3rd century BC, gets its name from Lord Bramha's mythical pot (
kumbh), that came to rest in this town (
konam translates to corner) when it was set afloat by a flood. Kumbakonam is where my mom grew up, and also where my grandmother lives. I wanted to do a phototwalk when I was there, so my mom took me to a couple of very old and very beautiful temples early in the morning.
Our first stop was outside the 12th century Sarangapani Temple, the largest temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in Kumbakonam. The temple chariot that weighs about 300 tons(!!!) was all decked up to be taken on a procession (happens twice a year) later that morning. If you look closely, you'll see people standing inside it, and to its right is the building from which one needs to cross a bridge to enter it. The friendly priests in charge of the day's religious ceremonies were ready and waiting for the procession to begin.
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| Left: The Sarangapani Temple Chariot Right: A pandit all set for the busy day |
It was still quite early, and the procession wouldn't begin until 9 AM, so we chose not to wait - the April heat in Kumbakonam was pretty brutal and we didn't want to stay out for too long. We went to the 12th century Nageshwara Swamy temple next, built by the Chola king Aditya Chola, dedicated to the serpent king Nagaraj, a form of Lord Shiva. There is also a smaller shrine for the celestial
Rahu in this temple.
.jpg "Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu") |
| The 12th century Nageshwara Swamy Temple. |
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| Frescoes on the ceiling as you enter the temple. Probably a recent addition. |
.jpg "Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu") |
| A couple of smaller shrines inside the temple complex |
Our last stop was the Ramaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Ram, built in the 16th century by the prime minister of King Raghunayak of Tanjore. The huge hall leading to the main shrine is lined on both sides by exquisitely carved monolithic pillars depicting scenes from the Ramayan.
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| The 16th century Ramaswamy Temple. |
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| The corridor leading to the sanctum sanctorum. |
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| Monolithic pillars depicting scenes from the Ramayan |
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| Monolithic pillars depicting scenes from the Ramayan |
Calling Kumbakonam a temple town is no exaggeration - there are temples everywhere you look - EVERYWHERE.
.jpg "Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu") |
| How many temples can you see in this picture? I can see at least three. |
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| Almost every street ends in a temple |
The three ancient temples of
Darasuram, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Tanjore, known collectively as the Great Living Chola Temples and recognized by UNESCO as world heritage sites, are located very close to Kumbakonam, so it is an ideal base if you're planning to visit them. I posted about
Darasuram last year, so Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Tanjore are on my To-Visit list this year :)