KUMBHAKONAM

Kumbhakonam, What a name? With its drum like sounds, it offers at once a grand feast to the ears and sets the mind thinking next, as to what is connotation would be. Its fantastic past is packed with legendary episodes of a rare kind that merits reverent study and instant adoration.

It is indeed a marvelous city renowned for commendable catholicity-breathing in diversity and breathing out unity. Look! what a strange juxtaposition of Siva temples and Vishnu shrines on the same street! Its rich history embodies such an admirable spirit of unparalleled universality that it recalls to mind the sublimity pervading the ancient paranasalas - the abodes of sages whose tapassakti made the wild lionesses suckle mild deer.  Sure, the religious homogeneity, social amicability and cultural unity that have been existing since ages, are no doubt enviable traits that man craves for, but realises not.  "Does this not afford an exciting topic for animating discussion and an interesting theme for dissertation?" Scholars ask after a visit.  

It is a temple city consecrated by the holy waters of Cauvery, flowing nearby. It has many august associations with divinities that even the Trimurthis were pleased to abide in this divya kshetra permanently for releasing humanity from the thraldom.  As it turned out a favourite habitat of the celestials, descended to bless the deserving devotees, it acquainted special sanctity worthy of full grasp and honest craving for visiting, to cleansing from sins clinging to body due to living amidst santanic elements.  

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