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Kumbakonam, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu · 10.9549°, 79.3798°
A Shiva temple on the eastern bank of the Mahamaham tank at Kumbakonam, one of the twelve Shiva shrines tied to the Mahamaham festival held there every twelve years. Its most recent kumbabhishekam was performed in September 2015.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
A thread from the primordial kumba is said to have fallen here and taken the form of a linga, and sage Gowthama worshipped it to expiate the killing of a cow.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Undetermined
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…