Kumbakonam
Introduction
Kumbakonam, also called Kudanthai, sits in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, bounded by the Kaveri river to the north and the Arasalar to the south. It is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam taluk, within reach of Thanjavur and, further off, Chennai.
The city is known as a temple city, thanks to its dense concentration of Hindu shrines. Every twelve years it hosts the Mahamaham festival, when pilgrims gather from across the country.
Before you go
Kumbakonam sits between two rivers, the Cauvery to the north and the Arasalar to the south, and it takes its name from the deity Lord Aadhi Kumbeswarar. It is a deeply traditional South Indian town, and temples are everywhere: practically every street and locality has a prominent one. Because of that density, it pays to read up on the temples before you visit them, so you can tell them apart and understand what you are looking at. The Sankara Matam and its associated institutions are also worth knowing about in advance, as they preserve and represent the Hindu scholarly tradition. The town is also a centre for craft and learning. Kumbakonam is one of the best-known silk-producing places alongside Kanchipuram, and its silk industry is a major supplier of silk sarees to the Indian market. Brass work is the other specialty: Kuthuvilakku (ornamental lamps) and statues are made here, along with brass pooja articles and utensils, and stainless steel utensils too. Brass ornamental lamps are also made in Naachiyar Kovil, about 8 km away towards Tiruvarur. Scholars and intellectuals have come from Kumbakonam, including the mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, and the town's old educational institutions include the Town High School and the Kumbakonam Arts College, the latter on the banks of the Cauvery. If your visit coincides with the Mahamaham festival, which falls once every twelve years when the Sun and Jupiter enter Aquarius and Leo respectively, expect crowds gathering to take a dip in the Mahamaham tank along with the presiding deities of the town. The town also has good road links to all the Navagraha temples.Getting there
Kumbakonam is well connected to major towns and cities by bus, with services run by the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka state transport corporations as well as private operators. From Chennai the journey takes six to eight hours; both government and private services cover the route, and a private service is the more comfortable choice. From Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) the distance is about 90 km, and from Thanjavur about 40 km. The city's central bus stand is a landmark in itself, with air-conditioned waiting halls and waiting shades, and was the first fully air-conditioned bus stand in India.
By rail, Kumbakonam sits on the Main Line from Chennai Egmore to Tiruchirapalli, which bifurcates at Villupuram, and it is one of the important stations on that section. Regular daily trains run to Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tiruchendur, Rameswaram and Coimbatore, with tri-weekly services from Tirupati and weekly trains from Bhubaneswar, Ayodhya and Varanasi. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli Airport, from which you can reach Kumbakonam by bus in about three hours.
Getting around
Auto rickshaws are the cheapest hired transport and the workhorse for short local trips, generally covering distances of less than 10 km to the small towns in and around Kumbakonam. As elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, negotiate the price before you set off. You can also hire an auto for a half-day or full day to cover the nearby places and temples within the city, with charges depending on the places you need to visit. Checking with locals on the average fare before you start bargaining is the simplest way to avoid the out-of-town markup.
Taxis suit longer excursions, such as the Navagraha temple circuit, which can be based out of Kumbakonam and takes about 1.5 days to cover the nine temples. There are two prominent taxi stands in the town, one near the bus stand and the other near the town hall, and taxis charge approximately by the kilometre. As with autos, agree on the fare in advance and ask locals what the going rate is. For multi-temple days, hiring by the half-day or full day is more practical than paying per trip. Walking is best reserved for the immediate area around your accommodation, a single temple cluster, or short errands near the bus stand or town hall, where autos and taxis are readily available.
Where to stay
Kumbakonam has a modest but workable range of places to sleep, and the supply of good rooms is limited enough that it is worth booking ahead rather than arriving and going door to door — especially if you are travelling with family. Several options sit close to the railway station and the main road, which makes them convenient bases for reaching the Navagraha temples and the town's other sights.
- PL.A Residency (Hotel Habib Towers) — on Kamaraj Road opposite the railway station, a business-style hotel with air-conditioned rooms, a spacious lobby, car parking, free Wi-Fi and a multi-cuisine restaurant.
- Paradise Resort — an eco-friendly traditional riverside resort on the Thanjavur main road near Darasuram and Swamimalai, with clean rooms, a swimming pool and a reputation for its food.
- Sterling Resort — in Swamimalai on the outskirts of town, easily reached by auto or taxi.
- Mantra Veppathur — at Veppathur.
- Sivamurugan Hotels — on 60 Feet Main Road near the new bus stand, with a vegetarian restaurant.
- Murugan Cafe — comfortable, neat and well-maintained, with air-conditioned rooms and a vegetarian restaurant.
- Rama Cafe — a good vegetarian hotel on the west side of the Mahamaham tank.
- Hotel Kasi International, Hotel Rayas and Adithya Hotel — further options in town.
If you want to be within walking distance of the station and the centre, the Kamaraj Road area is your best bet; if you would rather have space, a pool and a riverside setting, look to the resorts towards Thanjavur and Swamimalai and plan on using an auto or taxi to get around.
Food & drink
< p > Kumbakonam is well supplied with budget restaurants, and you can eat cheaply across the city. Bear in mind that while the food is generally tastier all around, it may not always be hygienic. Several hotels also run good restaurants, so it is worth checking the places near where you are staying. For non-vegetarian food, Hotel Raayas is the better bet, while Hotel Shanmuga is a local favourite for quality parottas and tasty non-veg dishes. If you want vegetarian food, Hotel Meenatchi Bhavan, Archanas and Venkatramana are all good choices. Sterling Resorts provides excellent food if you are after something more upmarket, but for simple home-style local cuisine, try one of the 'mess' establishments. < p > Among the vegetarian options, Gowrishankar Hotels sits upstairs to the New Bus Stand in the New Bus Stand Shopping Complex, and Indeco Hotels on Swamimali Road in Thimmakudi serves multi-cuisine vegetarian food. Meenatchi Restaurant is another reliable spot for good veggie food, and Paradise Resort is the place to go for over-the-top fare. For coffee, you would be missing the essence of the trip if you did not taste it here: Kumbakonam filter coffee is among the best in India. Kannan Cafe, near SRVS after Nall Road, is one place to try it, and Mangalambiga Coffee & Tiffin Center on Kumbeswarar North Street is a good vegetarian hotel. Taj Samudra Hotel & Restaurant on Nageswaran South Street, near Nageswaran Temple, is another option.What to see and do
Kumbakonam is a temple town, and its sights are almost entirely religious. At the centre is Adi Kumbeswarar Temple, dedicated to Shiva and worshipped here as Adi Kumbeswarar. The Kasi Viswanathar Temple takes its name from the famous temple in Varanasi, with Shiva honoured as Vishvanatha and Parvati as Vishalakshi. Just outside the city, at Darasuram, stands the Airavatesvara Temple, also dedicated to Shiva and recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it was built in the Chola era and is named after Airavata, the elephant of Lord Indra. Plan your days around visiting these temples, giving each the time its scale and detail deserve. The Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram is the one sight that sits away from the town itself, so treat it as a separate outing rather than something to fold into a walk between the central temples.Three days in Kumbakonam
Day one: Settle into Kumbakonam, also known as Kudanthai, a town in Tamil Nadu on the Kaveri, with the Arasalar nearby. Begin at the Lord Aadhi Kumbeswarar temple, and take in the Sankara Matam. In the evening, walk the streets around the temple tanks and try South Indian food.
Day two: Give the day to the Navagraha temples, which draw pilgrims seeking the favour of the Sun, Jupiter and the other celestial bodies, including those born under Aquarius and Leo. The town is also the site of the Mahamaham festival, held when the planets align. Return to Kumbakonam for a meal and rest.
Day three: Visit Naachiyar Kovil, then consider a day trip to Thanjavur or Tiruvarur, both within reach. If time allows, see the Town High School associated with Srinivasa Ramanujan, and Kumbakonam Arts College. Brass work, including the Kuthuvilakku lamp, is a local craft worth a look before you leave.