This 20-acre square tank surrounded by Shiva mandapams is believed by Tamil Hindus to be ancient, and the holy confluence of nine Indian river goddesses: Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Kaveri, and Sarayu, states Diana Eck – a professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies.

[1] On the day of the Mahamaham festival, the river goddesses and Shiva gather here to rejuvenate their waters, according to a legend in the Periya Purana.

The event attracts chariot processions, street fairs and classical dance performances in temple mandapas.

The 12-year cycle Mahamaham festival in Tamil Nadu is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Magha, and is a symbolic equivalent of the Kumbh Mela.

The 10-day festivities are also observed with lesser crowds in the Magha month (about February) every year between the 12-year Maha (major) cycle.

[4] The Mahamaham tank is surrounded by small temple mandapas with Vedic and Puranic deities, each with a Shiva linga in the sanctum.

At the entrance temple gate, there is the image of Shiva with nine Indian river goddesses: Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Kaveri, and Sarayu.

The flood subsided and the pot came to rest on ground, which was broken by an arrow by Shiva in a hunter form.

This shows Brahma being instructed by Shiva to preserve all seeds of creation and life forms in a giant kumbha (pot) during a great flood.

Shiva, in the form of Kiratamoorty (hunter) breaks it and the water inside the pot becomes the Mahamaham tank.

[1] The pot parts were memorialized by the many mandapa and temples near the tank and the Kumbhakunam region: Kumbeswara, Someswara, Kasi Viswanatha, Nageswara, Kamata Viswanatha, Abimukeshwara, Goutameswara, Banapuriswara, Varahar, Lakshminaryana, Sarangapani, Chakrapani and Varadharaja.

Astronomically, Maha maham or magha 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 Aquarius sign (Kumnha Rasi).

It is believed that the 16th-century Nayak era prime minister Govinda Dikshitar attended the event and donated gold which help build the sixteen mandapas.

The festival is a symbolic equivalent to the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage at Prayaga in Uttar Pradesh.

[1] The Masimaham is an annual event that occurs in Kumbakonam in the Tamil month of Masi (February–March) in the star of Magam.

[7] The purificatory bath is believed to remove sins and after the dip, pilgrims offer charitable gifts in the hope of being rewarded in the current life and subsequent lives.

This cyclic event makes this a sacred site and the waters holy to cleanse one of any sins they may have committed or absorbed from others.

The ceremony is observed during various times like equinoxes, commencement of an era (Yuga) and its ending, eclipses and Makara Sankranti.

[citation needed] The tank is located in the heart of Kumbakonam city which is near the Kaveri river.

[7] Govinda Dikshitar, the chieftain of Ragunatha Nayak of Thanjavur, constructed the sixteen mandapams and stone steps around this tank.

Kanya Theertham On the Mahamaham day people start with praying these Siva temples, followed by a dip in the holy tank.