Spiritual PlaceHindu temple

Banapuriswarar Temple, Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam Shiva temple linked to the Mahamaham festival, where Shiva is said to have aimed at the pot of amrita

Photo: பா.ஜம்புலிங்கம் · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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01 — The story

Banapuriswarar Temple is a Hindu temple to Shiva in the town of Kumbakonam. According to Hindu mythology, it was from this spot that Shiva took aim with his bow and arrow at a pot of amrita, the nectar of immortality.

The temple is one of the twelve Shiva temples of Kumbakonam associated with the Mahamaham, the festival held in the town once every twelve years, alongside shrines such as Adi Kumbeswarar, Nageswaraswamy and Abimukeswarar. A consecration ceremony, the Mahasamprokshanam or Kumbabishegam, was held here on 26 October 2015.

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02 — About

Coming soon

We’re still writing about Banapuriswarar Temple, Kumbakonam: its history, what’s there and why it’s worth the trip.