Abhi Mukheswarar car festival held at Kumbakonam around the Mahamaham tank on Sunday. The Masimaham is an annual event that occurs in Kumbakanom in the Tamil month of Masi (February–March) in the star of Magam. Photo:S.R. Raghunathan
Cup and cans sale near Mahamaham tank in Kumbakkonam on the occasion of Mahamaham festival. Mahamaham bathing festival is concentrated on a single day, the concourse of pilgrims being all the more. Photo: G. Gnanavelmurugan
The car festival of Adhi Kumbeswarar temple was performed at Kumbakonam during Mahamaham on Saturday after a period of 48 years. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
Swamy Bhrmananda Maharaj sadhu from Haridwar taking a holy dip at the Mahamaham tank. On the Mahamaham day people start with praying the Siva temples. This is continued by dips in the 20 wells, viz., Vayu Theertham, Ganga Theertham, Bramma Theertham, Yamuna Theertham, Kubera Theertham, Godavari Theertham, Eshana Theertham, Narmada Theertham, Saraswathi Theertham, Indira Theertham, Agni Theertham, Cauvery Theertham, Yama Theertham, Kumari Theertham, Niruthi Theertham, Bayoshni Theertham, Deva Theertham, Varunai Theertham, Sarayu Theertham and Kanya Theertham and visit to Kumbeswarar Temple, dip in the holy tank and finally in Kaveri river to complete the process. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
Sprinklers are being used to spray water on the devotees from the Mahamaham tank on Sunday. Twelve Shiva temples are connected with this festival. They are Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Kumbeswarar Temple, Nageswara Temple, Someswarar Temple, Koteeswarar Temple, Kahahasteeswarar Temple, Gowthameswarar Temple, Amirthakalasanathar Temple, Banapuriswarar Temple, Abimukeswarar Temple, Kambatta Visvanathar Temple and Ekambareswarar Temple. Out of this 12, 10 temples are in Kumbakonam. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
Holy water being poured at the Mahamaham tank in Kumbakonam. Vast crowd of devotees gather at Kumbakonam to have a dip in the tank, along with saints and holy men. All the rivers of India are believed to meet at the tank on this day and a purificatory bath at this tank on this day is considered equal to the combined dips in all the holy rivers of India. Photo: M. Srinath
Festival deities from all the temples in Kumbakonam arrive at the tank and at noon, all the deities bathe along with the devotees - it is called "Theerthavari". The purificatory bath is believed to remove sins and after the dip, pilgrims offer charitable gifts in the hope of being rewarded in the current life and subsequent lives. The temple cars of major temples in Kumbakonam come around the city on the festival night. During the Mahamaham of 1992, the number of devotees reached 1 million. Photo: M. Srinath
A naga sadhu at Kumbakonam attending Mahamaham festival. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
A Sadhu's conference at Mahamaham festival. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
A municipal administrative officer testing water content from the Mahamaham tank on Sunday. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
Devotees taking selfie after taking a dip at Mahamaham tank in Kumbakonam. Mahamaham bathing festival is concentrated on a single day, the concourse of pilgrims being all the more. During this festival, thousands of Hindu devotees come to Kumbakonam, and take bath in a tank named Mahamaham tank. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
The tank has 20 holy wells. These wells are named after 20 holy rivers flowing across India. People get themselves drained in these wells. These wells are also called as "Theertham" (Holy water). Photo: M. Srinath