Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 HISTORY OF MAHAMAHAM- A STUDY Dr. S. PRABAKARAN, Asst. Professor & Head of History, A.V.V.M. Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous) Poondi, Thanjavur - 613 503. Tamilnadu. Email : [email protected] Introduction "Let all of you this very day go to Kumbakonam, a spot deer to me and to Vishnu and bathe there is the nectar full tank created by the directions of the Parabrahmam. Do bathe in the presence of Kumbeswarar in Vrishaba Lagna on the this Mahamaham day, the full-moon day combined with Mahga Star with Jupiter in the sign of Leo. Thereby you will get rid of all your accumulated sins and regain power to wipe off the sins of others". It is mentioned in Bhavishya Purana, about the importance of Mahamaham and the festival as a narrative of Shiva to all Celestial Deities. Sekkizhar mentioned in Periya Puranam about the dip in the Holy Tank on the Mahamaham day is equivalent to dip in all holy rivers and leads to worldly prosperity. Appar also described in Thiruthandakam, as the subtle presence of holy rivers like the Ganges in the Mahamaham Tank. Mahamaham Festival- The Background Mahamaham is a Hindu festival celebrated every 12 years in the Mahamaham Tank in Kumbakonam. Devotees consider taking a holy dip at the Mahamaham Tank on the day of Mahamaham as sacred. Hindu devotees are washing their sins on the holy rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvathi, Sarayu, Godavari, Mahanadhi, Narmada, Pavoshni and Kaveri river. All the rivers of India are believed to meet at the tank on this Mahamaham day and a Purificatory Bath at this tank is considered equal to the combined dips in all the holy rivers. Deities from Volume IX Issue II FEBRUARY 2020 Page No : 176 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 all the temples in Kumbakonam arrive at the tank and take bath along with devotees called Theerthavari. Science Behind the Mahamaham Festival Maham is a Nakshatra in Leo Sign. This festival is celebrated in the month when full Moon occurs as Moon is passing Magha Nakshatra (Leo sign) and Sun is on the other end in the opposite Kumba Rasi. Jupiter takes 12 years to go around to complete one full revolution and during this sojourn it spends one year in Leo, once in every 12 years. Picture 1. Science Behind the Mahamaham Mahamaham occurs once in 12 years when the planet Jupiter's residence in Leo co- insides with full moon in Leo. This is also considered a powerful astrological combination. Since Jupiter and moon will be on the same constellation with Sun on the other side which is considered very auspicious and highly beneficial. On the day of the festival it is believed to bring all water bodies together and enrich the tank with minerals. Volume IX Issue II FEBRUARY 2020 Page No : 177 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 MAHAMAHAM TANK Mahamaham tank is located in the heart of Kumbakonam town. This tank covers an area of 6.2 acres and is trapezoidal in shape. The tank is surrounded by 16 small Mandapams and has 20 wells inside the tank namely, Vayu Theertham, Ganga, Brahma, Yamuna, Kubera, Godaveri, Eshana, Narmada, Saraswathi, Indira, Agni, Cauveri, Yama, Kumari, Nirithi, Boyoshni, Deva, Varunai, Saraya and Kanya Theertham. This tank has four streets along its four tanks. It is constructed with steps on the sides for people to easily access the tank and take dips. There are 16 Mandapam around the corners and sides of the tank. These towers are considered to be forms of Lord Siva. The holy time has other names such as, Mahamaha Kulam, Mahamaha Theertham, Kannika Theertham and Amuthavana Theertham, etc. Mahamaham Day Worship On the Mahamaham day, devotees start with praying in Kumbeswarar temple. The metal idols of the deities of the main temples of Kumbakonam is carried on palanquins and taken around the different streets on the town. This festival is concentrated on a single day, the concourse of pilgrims being all the more. In this festival lakhs of Hindu devotees, come to Kumbakonam and take bath in Mahamaham Tank and finally Dip in Cauvery river the complete the process. The visit of Krishna Devaraya during 1445 CE is recorded in an inscription in the Gopuram of Nagalpuram, a village in Chengalpattu District. This visit also recorded in the inscription found in the Shiva temple in Kuthalam, Thanjavur district. The Table-1. shows that the years of the festival celebrated in Kumbakonam from 1445 CE to 2016 CE. Volume IX Issue II FEBRUARY 2020 Page No : 178 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Table – 1. Mahamaham Celebration No Century Years Devotees (In Lakhs) 1 15th Century 1445, 1457, 1469, 1481, 1493 - 1506, 1518, 1529, 1541, 1553, 2 16th Century - 1565, 1577, 1589 1600, 1612, 1624, 1636, 1648, 3 17th Century - 1660, 1672, 1683, 1695 1707, 1719, 1731, 1743, 1755, 4 18th Century - 1767, 1788 1802, 1814, 1826, 1838, 1850, 5 19th Century - 1861, 1873, 1885, 1897 1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1956, - 1968 6 20th Century 1980 06 1992 10 2004 (March 6) 15 7 21th Century 2016 (Feb.22) 46 (Source : Various Books and News Papers) The above Table shows that the devotees visited in 1980 was 6 lakhs and 10 lakhs in 1992. It is recorded that in the year 2004, it was increased to 15 lakhs devotees from various places took the Holy Dip in the Mahamaham Tank. This Mahamaham was celebrated on February 22, 2016 with 46 lakhs devotees from all over the world, who took the Holy Dip in the Tank. Prominent personalities including Kanchi Acharyas Jayendra Saraswati and Vijayendra Saraswathi, Sri Lankan MP Seenithambi Yogeswaran, Tamilnadu State Ministers were participated in the festival. The Government of Tamil Nadu made elaborate preparation and arrangement for the safety and comforts of the Devotees. The Government arranged numerous special trains and bus services and 7 temporary bus stations around the Kumbakonam city. Temporary toilets, health centres, water facilities, etc., had been arranged. More than 40,000 Tamilnadu Police were involved for the protection of the devotees and brought in full control of the crowd for nearly one month. Volume IX Issue II FEBRUARY 2020 Page No : 179 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Conclusion Mahamaham Tank is Holier than Varanasi at Kasi. There is an oft noted popular saying in Sanskrit, nothing Kumbakonam as even as more sacred than Varanasi. A sin committed at some ordinary place is washed off by a visit to a holy place. Sin done in a sacred spot is washed off by going on a Pilgrimage to Varanasi. If one dares to commit a sin in that sacred city, that sin is wiped off at Kumbakonam and any sinful act done at Kumbakonam is atoned for there itself. References 1. Dina Thanthi, Tamil Daily, Thanjavur, 24-01-2016. 2. Gajarani, S., History, Religion and Culture of India, Vol. - 3, Isha Books, New Delhi, 2004. 3. International Dictionary of Historical Places, 1996. 4. Kumbakonam Mahamaham Mahimai Malar, Dina Thanthi Publications, Chennai, 2016. 5. Tourist Guide to Tamilnadu, (various issues). 6. Various News Papers like, The Hindu, Dinamalar, Dinathanthi, Dinamani, etc., 7. Vriddhagirisan, V., Nayakas of Tanjore, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 1995. Volume IX Issue II FEBRUARY 2020 Page No : 180.