Mahamaham Tank, Kumbakonam.. Mahamaham Tank is a huge temple tank located in Kumbakonam, and it is said to be an ancient temple tank in Tamil Nadu. The Masimaham festival held in the Temple tank has more than lakhs of visitors and several lakhs of devotees used to participate in the Mahamaham festival by taking a dip in the Holy Temple Tank. Though I have witnessed the beauty of this holy pond while passing through that way, yet, I have not taken bath in this sacred pond.
As per ancient legend, after the end of each Yuga, deluge would arise, and due to that, the entire earth would be submerged into the ocean. During the beginning of the next Yuga, Lord Brahma, the creator god, would again recreate the world. It is believed that some quantity of divine nectar was mixed up in the Mahamaham Tank, and hence large number of pilgrims used to visit the tank in order to get rid from their sins and diseases. Ancient kings and saints have visited and took bath in the Mahamaham sacred tank.
The tank is located in the heart of Kumbakonam town, and the tank is surrounded by several shrines.
Masimaham is an annual event that would occur during the Tamil month of Masi (February–March). Once in twelve years, the Kumbh mela festival is celebrated at the prosperous Mahamaham tank, and during that time, lot of devotees visit this place to have a dip in the tank. All the rivers of India are believed to mix up at this holy temple tank, and taking bath during that auspicious day is believed to cleanse our sins committed in the past fourteen births. Utsava Temple deities would arrive at this sacred tank and at noon, all the deities would be bathed along with the devotees, and the event is called as “Theerthavari”.
After taking the holy bath in this sacred tank, most of the pilgrims would offer charitable gifts to the poor, as an act of humanity, divinity and generosity. The ancient Bhavishya Purana mentions the importance of Mahamaham Tank, since it is considered equivalent to the sacred River Ganges.
The ancient Tamil saint-poet Sekkizhar, in his holy work, Periyapuranam has mentioned the significance of taking bath in the Mahamaham tank and likewise Appar, the 7th-century Shaivite saint- poet also mentions the greatness of Mahamaham tank, and he insists the people to take bath in this holy pond, at least once in their life time.
“OM MA MAHAMAHA GANGAI THAYE NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR