Kumbakonam Tourism Information

Kumbakonam is the second bigger town in Thanjavur district also known as Temple city.  It is located 40km from Thanjavur on the North East.  In the 7th century it was the capital of Chola kings.  Kumbakonam, the famous temple town of South India, is picturesquely located amidst the two rivers, Cauvery and Arasalar. Brahma the creator after the Prilaya Era, to continue with his work of creation wanted to have a Peetam. Lord Shiva asked him to make a pot made of “Amirtham” and sand.  The pot had a Peetam in it, with the Vedas around it on four sides.  A coconut was kept over the pot and garlands of Poonul (Sacred Thread) and Tharipai were decorated and Brahma worshipped it. During a flood, the pot floated and moved towards south from Kailash.  Lord Shiva in the disguise of a hunter broke the pot with an arrow and the amirtham spilled as “Amirtha Theertham”.  Mixing the Amirtham of the Kumbha withsand Lord Shiva emerged as Lingam.  The sacred place where the gave darshan as “Kumbeswaram” is now called as Kumbakonam.