Kumbakonam is located at 10.97°N 79.42°E.[33] It is situated 273 km (170 mi) south of Chennai,[34] 96 km (60 mi) east of Tiruchirappalli, and about 40 km (25 mi) north-east ofThanjavur.[35] It lies in the region called the "Old delta" which comprises the north-western taluks of Thanjavur district that have been naturally irrigated by the waters of the Cauvery and its tributaries for centuries in contrast to the "New Delta" comprising the southern taluks that were brought under irrigation by the construction of theGrand Anicut canal and the Vadavar canal in 1934.[36][37] It has an average elevation of 26 metres (85 ft).[38] The town is bounded by two rivers, the Cauvery Riveron the north and Arasalar River on the south.[6] Although the Cauvery delta is usually hot, the climate of Kumbakonam and other surrounding towns is generally healthy[39] and moderate.[40] Kumbakonam is cooler than Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.[41] The maximum temperature in summer is about 40 °C (104 °F) while the minimum temperature is about 20 °C(68 °F).[42] Kumbakonam receives an annual rainfall of 114.78 cm (45.19 in) every year.[43] The region is covered with mainly alluvial or black soil which is conducive for rice cultivation.[36] Other crops grown in Kumbakonam include mulberry, cereals and sugarcane.[44][45] The town of Kumbakonam is surrounded by extensive paddy fields.[36] Methods of irrigation were considerably improved following the opening of the Mettur Damin 1934.[14][36] The fauna of the Cauvery Delta is limited to cattle and goats.[44] The town is situated at the western flank of the Kumbakonam-Shiyali ridge which runs along the Kollidam river[46] basin separating the Ariyalur- Puducherry depression from the Nagapattinam depression.[47][48] This granular ridge projects further eastwards penetrating the Puducherry depression and forms a hard layer of cretaceous rock underneath the sedimentary top soil.[48][49] Temples[edit source | editbeta] Mahamaham tank – one of the most prominent landmarks of the town Main article: Temples of Kumbakonam Kumbakonam is known for its temples and mathas (monasteries). There are around 188 Hindu temples within the municipal limits of Kumbakonam.[25] Apart from these, there several thousand temples around the town thereby giving the town the sobriquets "Temple Town" and "City of temples".[50] Adi Kumbeswarar Temple is considered to be the oldest Shaiva (the sect of the god Shiva) shrine in the town, believed to be constructed by the Cholas in the 7th century.[51] TheNageswaraswamy Temple has a separate shrine for the Sun god Surya who is believed to have worshipped Shiva at this place.[52] Adi Kumbeswarar temple, Nageswaraswamy temple andKasi Viswanathar temple are Shiva temples in the town revered in the Tevaram, a Tamil Shaiva canonical work of the 7th–8th century.[53] Kumbakonam has one of the few temples dedicated to the god Brahma.[54] Sarangapani temple is the largest Vaishnava (the sect of the god Vishnu) shrine present in Kumbakonam. The present structure of the temple having a twelve storey high tower was constructed by Nayak kings in the 15th century. It is one of the "Divya Desams", the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 Alvar saint-poets.[55][56] The Ramaswamy temple, which has scenes from the Hindu epic Ramayana depicted on its walls, was constructed by Govinda Dikshitar, the minister of successive Nayak rulers, Achuthappa Nayak (1560–1614) and Raghunatha Nayak (1600–34).[57][58] He added a commercial corridor between the temple and the older Chakrapani temple, which in modern times is called Chinna Kadai Veethi, a commercial street in the town.[59] Pilgrims from all parts of India take a holy dip once every 12 years during the Mahamaham festival in the Mahamaham tank.[25][51][58] An estimated 2 million pilgrims participated in the festival during the 2004 event.[29] Govinda Dikshitar constructed the sixteen mandapams (shrines) and stone steps around this tank.[58][60] Kumbakonam also has a number of mathas. The Sri Sankara matha of Kanchipuram was moved to Kumbakonam during the reign of Pratap Singh[21] (1739–63) and remained in Kumbakonam until the 1960s. There are also two Vellalarmathas in the nearby towns of Dharmapuram and Thiruppanandal[61] and a Raghavendra matha in Kumbakonam.[62] There is also a branch of the Vaishnava Ahobila mutt in Kumbakonam.[63] The Thenupuriswarar Temple at Patteeswaram, the Oppiliappan Kovil, the Swamimalai Murugan temple and the Airavateswarar temple at Darasuram are located in the vicinity of Kumbakonam.[64] The Airavatesvara Temple built byRajaraja Chola II (1146–73) during 12th century is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram that are referred as the Great Living Chola Temples.[65] [Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur; Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram; and Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram] (1987, 2004), Tamil Nadu Date of Inscription: 1987; Extension: 2004 The celebrated Saiva temple at Thanjavur, appropriately called Brihadisvara and Daksinameru, is the grandest creation of the Chola emperor Rajaraja (AD 985-1012). It was inaugurated by the king himself in his 19th regnal year (AD 1009-10) and named it after himself as Rajesvara Peruvudaiyar. Architecturally, it is the most ambitious structural temple built of granite. It has been regarded as a ‘landmark in the evolution of building art in south India’ and its vimana as a ‘touchstone of Indian architecture as a whole’. The temple is within a spacious inner prakara of 240.9 m long (east-west) and 122 m broad (north-south), with a gopura at the east and three other ordinary torana entrances one at each lateral sides and the third at rear. The prakara is surrounded by a double-storeyed malika with parivaralayas. The temple with its massive proportions and simplicity of design provided inspiration for future designs in constructions not only in south India but also in south-east Asia. The sikhara, a cupolic dome, is octagonal and rests on a single block of granite, a square of 7.8 m weighing 80 tons. The majestic upapitha and adhishthana are common to all the axially placed entities like the ardha-maha and mukha-mandapas and linked to the main sanctum but approached through a north-south transept across the ardha-mandapa which is marked by lofty sopanas. The moulded plinth is extensively engraved with inscriptions by its royal builder who refers to his many endowments, pious acts and organisational events connected to the temple. The brihad-linga within the sanctum is 8.7 m high. Life-size iconographic representations on the wall niches and inner passages include Durga, Lakshmi, Sarasvati and Bhikshatana, Virabhadra, Kalantaka, Natesa, Ardhanarisvara and Alingana forms of Siva. The mural paintings on the walls of the lower ambulatory inside are finest examples of Chola and later periods which depict the contemporaneous scenes with legendary ones. Sarfoji, a local Maratha ruler, rebuilt the Ganapati shrine. The celebrated Thanjavur School of paintings of the Nayakas is largely superimposed over the Chola murals. The temple is rich in iconography as well as inscriptions which provide an account of events showing achievements, financial arrangements, donations and bearing an impression of contemporary society. Two great Chola Temples of the 11th and 12th centuries have been added to the 11th century Brihadisvara temple of Thanjavur, inscribed in 1987. The Great Living Chola Temples were built by kings of the Chola Empire, which stretched over all of South India and the neighbouring islands. The site now includes the three great 11th and 12th century Chola Temples: the Brihadisvara temple of Thanjavur, the Temple of Gangaikondacholapuram and the Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram. The Temple of Gangaikondacholapuram, built by Rajendra I, was completed in 1035. Its 53-m vimana (sanctum tower) has recessed corners and a graceful upward curving movement, contrasting with the straight and severe tower at Thanjavur. It has six pairs of massive, monolithic dvarapalas statues guarding the entrances and bronzes of remarkable beauty inside. The Airavatesvara temple complex at Darasuram, built by Rajaraja II, features a 24-m vimana and a stone image of Shiva. The temples testify to the Cholas brilliant achievements in architecture, sculpture, painting, and bronze casting. Ticket Rates: Admission is free. No fee for still photography/ videography with handheld cameras. For all other types of photography and videography, the Superintending Archaeologist, A.S.I ,Chennai Circle, Chennai-9 may be contacted (Ph. 044- 25670396/25670397) Hours of opening: 0630 hrs to 2030 hrs on all days Approach: Tanjavur is about 330 km from Chennai which is well connected by rail and road. Brihadisvara temple, Gangaikondacholapuram, Dist. Perambalur Rajendra I (AD 1012-1044), the illustrious son of the great Chola king Rajaraja I (AD 985-1014) chose this location to build a new a great capital city for the Chola Empire most probably during the first quarter of 11th century in order to commemorate his conquest over northern territories. Nonetheless, he not only built a city, now in ruins and excavated partially but also a great temple for Siva. The Brihadisvara at Tanjavur had influenced this temple in many ways like the vast conception of the lay out and massive proportion of the elevation. The lay out – the sanctum with its axial units, the Chandikesvara shrine, the cloister mandapa with the subsidiary shrines and a gopura is similar to Tanjavur. The location of two smaller shrines – The South and North Kailasa (now the Amman shrine) are different. But the architect of this edifice has shown remarkable intelligence to correct some of the shortcomings in the design of the Brihadisvara at Tanjavur like the provision for erecting a wooden scaffolding in the masonry of the sanctum, the pleasing elevation by appropriately changing and placing the hara elements etc.