Hindu Feasts, Fasts and Ceremonies/Chapter 12
12. The Mahamakha
THE full-moon day of the month of Kumbha (corresponding to 12th February to 12th March) is held sacred by the Hindus throughout India for bathing in the sacred tank called the Mahamakha-saras in Kumbakonam. This occasion, which occurs annually, is called the Makham, i.e., the occasion when the moon passes through the asterism of Makham in the month of Kumbha. But the Mahamakham or the great Makham is an event which occurs only once 1n twelve years. The planet Jupiter takes twelve years to complete one revolution round the sun and during this course when it is in conjunction with the moon in the Makha asterism of the constellation of Leo—Simha—the Mahamakham occurs. This is an astronomical incident which takes place only once in twelve years, and when it takes place the event is celebrated as above mentioned. All the holy rivers and bathing places on the seashore are resorted to on this occasion; but the Hindu who takes his bath in the holy waters of the Mahamakham tank at Kumbakonam is considered to have reaped the beneficial effects of several baths in all the holy waters of India. Such being the belief of the Hindus an account of the origin of the Mahamakham festival may be interesting. The Mahamakham tank, which is the biggest one in Kumbakonam, is situated in the south-eastern portion of the town and is about a mile to the west of the South Indian Railway Station there. In shape it is a nine-sided polygon with five re-entrant angles. Two very old Siva temples dedicated to Abhimukteswara and Visvanatha are situated respectively on its eastern and northern sides, and streets run on the other two sides. The legend of the tank, as disclosed by the Sthalapurana of Kumbakonam, runs as follows:—Under the orders of Siva, Brahma collected the essence of all the sacred waters in the world in a pot and mixed with it the nectar (devamrita) also. He most carefully secured this pot on the top of the mountain Meru. But during the great deluge, when the world was destroyed by an overflowing inundation, the pot somehow lost its position and was observed floating on the water. At the end of the deluge, when the waters subsided, the pot rested in a place now called Kumbakonam and at the spot where the temple of Kumbheswara—from whom the town derives its name—is situated. The compound word "Kumbakonam," which is the name of the city, comes from two simple Sanskrit words kumbha meaning an earthen pot and ghona the nostril or neck of it. Thus the name of the city is connected with the pot of Brahma. But to continue the legend:—When at the beginning of the creation of the world after the deluge, the god Siva was wandering over the earth in the disguise of a hunter, he saw this earthen pot, and as he then held a bow in his hand, he aimed, in sportive mood, at the neck of the pot. The pot broke and the holy water in it began to flow out. It found its level in a hollow pit. This is the very same pit that has become now, according to the legend, the sacred tank of Mahamakhasaras at Kumbakonam. When Siva saw the pot break, he made a lingam out of sand and placed it over the pot and infused his own fiery energy into it. When this was done, Brahma came down from the upper regions with thirty-three crores of devas and worshipped the lingam in befitting style. He was engaged in his prayers for a very long time, and came to the close on a Mahamakham day. He got up from his contemplative position and proceeded to bathe in the tank before him. But lo! a most holy congregation. was before him. The great gods Nageswara, Mukteswara and others, the goddesses of all the holy waters of the world—Ganga, Yamuna, Setu, etc., were already waiting there to bathe in the tank along with the lord of creation—Brahma. Even the deity of Benares—Visveswara—had come there not to lose the rare opportunity. They all greeted Brahma and praised him for his faith in Siva. Brahma proceeded to bathe in the tank by way of bringing the period of his contemplation to a close, and all the gods followed suit and took their baths. These events occurred on a Mahamakham day, and from that time forward bathing in this tank on the Mahamakham occasion has come to be considered as equal to bathing in all the sacred rivers and before all the gods. Such then is, according to the legend, the origin of this tank and of this festival.
Every orthodox Hindu believes that the holy waters of the Gangés come down to this tank on this occasion. Most of the old Brahmans will say that they observed the goddess. Ganga raise one of her hands from underneath the surface of the water of this sacred tank to announce to the anxious pilgrims her arrival in the tank, and that soon after, a lime fruit, a garland of flowers and a roll of palm leaf were seen floating on the water. The latter are considered to be the signs of the visit of a deity, especially of a female deity. The preliminaries to this festival commence ten days before the Mahamakham day. From distant quarters of India pilgrims flock to Kumbakonam in very large numbers. On the Mahamakham day all the principal idols of Siva in the town march in procession to this tank. Thousands of pilgrims and devotees follow these idols chanting hymns in praise of the holy rivers. When the procession reaches the pillar post near the Nageswara temple one great mass of moving heads is observed from that elevated position as far as the eyes can reach to the Kast, South, North and West. For, Mahamakham is considered the greatest occasion in India, and large crowds flock to witness it. The municipal authorities take the precaution of reducing the depth of the water in the tank and leave only water just sufficient to enable the pilgrims to bathe without danger of being drowned. This wise precaution has been taken from time immemorial; but instead of the steam engines now used, piccotahs or country water-lifts were used in those old days. The idols of gods that march in procession are temporarily accommodated in the mandapams on the banks of the tank. The trident which is the emblem of Siva is taken out by the priest of each god and immersed in water. This is the signal that that particular god to whom the trident belongs has himself performed the bathing ceremony in the tank This is also the signal that the holy occasion for the bathing of the people has set in. The twelve tridents are immersed simultaneously in twelve different spots of the tank, and along with these, thousands of devotees plunge their heads into the waters with the firm belief that they are bathing in the quintessence of all the sacred rivers, and in the presence of all the gods. Every one gets up from the bath with his whole body besmeared with mud, but for all that, he goes home with the consolation that the holy occasion has been availed of and that the holy bathing in all the sacred rivers has been taken in one plunge. Such is faith, simple faith, more consoling than all philosophy. What Jerusalem is to the Christians, what Buddha-Gaya is to the Buddhists, what Mecca is to the Muhammadans, what Benares is to the Indian—so is the Mahamakham bath to all the Hindus on the Mahamakham day. As the water in this tank is supposed to have originated first from the earthen pot so carefully guarded by Brahma, this tank goes also by the name of Brahma-tirtham. Owing to the special sanctity attached to it on this occasion, the tank is also called the Mahamakha-saras. It is also called Kanyatirtham after the goddesses Kanyas on the tank. These kanyas or virgins are supposed to be the representations of nine holy waters:—Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Sarasvati, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Tambraparni, and Kanyakumari. The bath in the Mahamakham tank on this - sacred occasion is considered to wipe off all sins. The river Ganges is supposed to run into the Mahamakham tank by a subterranean current, Antarvahini, on this day and the Hindu devotee will assert that if on this sacred occasion the water in the Ganges is examined it will be noticed to have gone down by one foot. Where did the waters go! Of course to the Mahamakham tank! How did they go? By the—Antarvahini—under current. In connection with this strong belief the following story is related:—
In the good old days, before the Kaliyuga had set in, there wasa very pious king reigning over the country of Mithila, north of Benares. He was happy in every way except that he had not a son to succeed to his throne. Once upon a time a holy sage, a rishi, visited the king and told him that if he bathed in the waters of the sacred Ganges on the Mahamakham day he would soon obtain a son. The king had the greatest respect for the sage and desired to follow his advice. He proclaimed his intention among his subjects, and several of these, who were unhappy like the king in not having sons, followed their sovereign. Each started with his wife also; for the Hindu belief is that bathing in holy waters is not complete unless both the husband and the wife hold each the other’s hand and bathe together in the waters facing the current. So on that Mahamakham day before the Kali-yuga several thousands of families bathed thus in the Ganges with the king of Mithila. All got out of the water safe, except the king and his queen. What became of the royal pair, no one knew. A very careful search was made, The river was dragged with nets. Not the slightest clue could be had. It was a perfect mystery to every one. The loyal subjects returned to their homes with dismal faces and regarded the event as a great calamity.
But the fact was that the king with his queen got out safe from his bathing. But instead of meeting with their own people, he and his wife found themselves in the middle of a strange tank, and in the middle of people speaking strange tongues. For the royal pair got out of their bathing at Kumbakonam and not at Benares where they plunged themselves in the Ganges, because the subterranean current of the Ganges had carried the pair to the Mahamakham tank at Kumbakonam. The royal pair had travelled the long distance in the twinkling of an eye. With difficulty they explained themselves to the people at Kumbakonam and found out the real state of affairs. The king’s desire has already been fulfilled; for he had a boy. Such is the story and it is very interesting as it is proof positive to the pious devotee that subterranean communication between the Ganges and the Mahamakham tank exists even to-day.
The sacredness of grand rivers generally is a strong Hindu belief and the special sanctity attributed to certain waters on an occasion occurring only once. in twelve years is equally a strong Hindu belief. Pushkaram is the Mahamakham of the Telugus, and occurs only once in twelve years, when the freshes of the Godavari rise toa very high level. Bathing on the Pushkaram day at certain chosen spots on the banks of the Godavari is considered as sacred by the Telugus as the Mahamakham bath is by all Hindus.
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