Kumbakonam

When it was time for the destruction of this world a huge Pralaya came up. In order to save the vedha’s Amirtham (Tamil language) and tools necessary to create lives on earth, Lord Brahma collected all these things and put them in a mud pot and kept the pot safety on the top of the Mount Meru (mythology).
Pralaya kalam (ie) the period of non stop heavy rain came and the pot of Brahma was washed away by the flood. In due course moving in the south direction it came to halt at a particular place. Then for the wish of all Devar’s (ie) heavenly people Lord Shiva broke the pot with an arrow. Immediately Amudham (ie) the liquid given eternity flowed from the pot and formed two tanks. One is known as Mahamaha kulam and the other is Potramarai kulam. The remains of the pot and Amudham joined together to form Lord Kumbeswarar otherwise called (Shiva) in the Adi Kumbeswarar Temple. In the name of the broken pot (ie) Kumbam (Tamil language) that place was called Kumbakonam. The city of Kumbakonam, is linked to several instances & puranas in the Hindu mythology. Mythological legend has it that there was a deluge after the Dwapara Yugam; a pot of nectar and the seeds of creation were placed in a pot (kudam) and set adrift in the deluge. The drifting pot settled at Kumbakonam giving its ancient name Kudamookku. Kumbakonam is also colloquially known as Kudanthai, Thirukudanthai and Baskarashetram from time immemorial.

History
The earliest history of Kumbakonam could be traced to the town of Pazhaiyaarai, 8 kilometres from Kumbakonam which was the capital of the Chola Empire in the 9th century AD. Records from around the same time mention the nearby township of Kudanthai which grew into the present-day Kumbakonam. Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan; a semi-historical novel bring out the 10th century A.D., gives a detailed description of Kudanthai and elevates it to the status of a regional headquarters of the Chola governors.
During the Chola Empire rule this place had a local sabha with political autonomy to decide the administrative matters of the town. Krishnadevaraya, the emperor ofVijayanagara visited the town to attend the famous Mahamaham festival.
During the Maratha’s rule Sankaracharya came as a refugee because of Hyder Ali and the person who gave asylum to him was Kabir. A ghat and a street in Kumbakonam were named after Kabir. The societal pattern formed in this town and the supremacy of the Brahmin community during the Maratha and the British rules were documented in the Encyclopædia Britannica.
Research on the name Tirukkudantai with other equivalents such as Kudavayil and Kumbam forms part of a chapter. It also mentions the negative connotations attributed to the place Kumbakonam as “a cheat” and “a crooked person” in the Winslow’s dictionary (1862) and the Tamil lexicon. Later this was corrected and the historical reason behind this was also explained in the book.

Business
The town which was originally a religious town become an industrial center during last quarter of the 19th Century and early period of 20th century. Predominance was gained for Silk Industries and Metal manufacturing.The Major Suppliers of Silk Sarees to the Indian Silk Saree Market is Kumbakonam Silk Industry. All the South Indian Brass Pooja articles and utensils are manufactured in Kumbakonam and these articles are manufactured nowhere in South India other than Kumbakonam.KuthuVilakku and Statues are the famous articles. Stainless Steel utensils are manufactured.Betelnuts, Suparis are manufactured in Kumbakonam.

Economy

Kumbakonam is primarily a market city for surrounding smaller towns and agricultural villages. The town is surrounded by small villages of great historical importance. The agricultural region around the town is famous for its betelnuts and betel leaves. It is a market town where people from all over the Kaveri delta region (Composite Thanjavur District) come for business purposes. The town is also home to many goldsmiths and ornament makers. And the city is world famous for sculpture because of the workshop in Swamimalai.

Temples

Kumbakonam is known as the City of temples as there are around thousand of temples in and around Kumbakonam.

Lord shiva temples

In Kumbakonam
1. Adi Kumbheswarar Temple.
2. Nageswara Swami Temple.
3. Someswarar Temple.

Temples to the East/North East of Kumbakonam
4. Thiruviyalur.
5. Thirunageswaram.
6. Thiruvidaimarudur.
7. Thirukkodika.
8. Tenkurangaduthurai.
9. Thiruneelakkudy.
10. Thirumangalakkudi.
11. Palaiyur.

Temples to the SouthEast of Kumbakonam
12. Kalayanallur(Sakkotai).
13. Thiru Chivapuram(Sivapuram).
14. Karukkudy(Marudhanallur).
15. Arisikaraiputhur(Azhagaputhur).
16. Penu Perundurai.
17. Thirunaraiyur.
18. Penu Perundurai.
19. Thirucherai.
20. Thirunallam.
21. Narayur Chitteswaram.
22. Nalur Mayanam.
23. Karuvili.
24. Kudavayil(Kudavasal).

Temples to the Southwest of Kumbakonam
25. Pattesvaram.
26. Thiruchathimutham.
27. Aavur.
28. Nallur.
29. Pazhayarai Vadathali.
30. Tiru palathurai.

Temples to the west of Kumbakonam
31. Kottaiyur.
32.Thiruvalanchuzhi.
Temples to NorthWest of Kumbakonam
33. Innambur.
34. Thiruppurambiam.
35. VijayaMangai.
36. Tiruvaikavoor.

Temples to the Northeast of Kumbakonam
37. Thirundudevankudy.
38. Thirucheynjalur.
39. Thiruvappadi.
40. Thiruppanandal.

Lord Vishnu Temples In Kumbakonam
1. Sarangapani Temple.
2. Chakrapani Temple.

Temples to the SouthEast of Kumbakonam
3. Tiruvinnagar(Uppiliyappan Koil).
4. Nachiyarkovil.
5. Thirucherai.

Temples to the West of Kumbakonam
6. Pullabhudangudi.
7. Kapisthalam.

Temples to the SouthWest of Kumbakonam
8. Nandipura Vinnagram

Temples to the NorthWest of Kumbakonam
9. Aadanur.

Temples to the NorthEast of Kumbakonam
10. Thiruvalliankudi.