Ancient, royal, pilgrimage town
A. SRIVATHSAN
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Kumbakonam was part of a large royal complex of the Chola period.
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One is always surprised when prodigies emerge from the least expected of places and from the worst of situations. On the dusty road leading to the Cauvery stands the modest Town High School in Kumbakonam. No one can fathom how this small town in Tamil Nadu and this school played such an important part in India's self-taught mathematical prodigy Srinivasa Ramanujan.
Ramanujan travelled a long way to reach Cambridge and had a productive stay there. Ill health brought him back to India and he died at Kumbakonam in 1920. His house on the street leading to the Sarangapani temple is a legacy this town cherishes.
There are more specialities to this town. Kumbakonam located in the fertile Cauvery delta is an ancient royal and pilgrimage town. It played an important role in the Bhakti period and in its later canonisation. Unlike typical historic towns of Tamil Nadu that are concentrically centred on a single temple, Kumbakonam is a town with multiple temple centres. Studies show it was part of a approximately ten square mile royal complex of the Chola period. During the 16th century, a major urban design intervention in the form of a new street gave it a compact urban form. The kadai theru or the grand commercial street, connected the two rivers Cauvery and Arasalar and the two important temples on its route to produce the new focus of the town.
Culturally important
Novels in Tamil, like that of T. Janakiraman, poetically capture the early 20th century socio-cultural importance of Kumbakonam. It is only when Chennai and its many sabhas emerged, that Kumbakonam lost its status as the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu. However, places like Swamimalai, Darasuram, Thirubhuvanam and Nachiyar Kovil in the vicinity continue to be active craft centres. Not only temples, but also brass vessels, lamps, icons and silk sarees stand witness to its living heritage.
Though Kumbakonam is declared a heritage town, neither its urban history nor architectural heritage has been taken care of. The riverfront is in a pathetic state of neglect. Heritage continues to be narrowly defined in terms of religion and temples. Mahamakam, a Kumba Mela like event, is celebrated once in 12 years and that alone receives importance. The rest of the non-religious heritage is ignored.
Darasuram
Cholas are known as the grand builders. Four temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram, Darasuram and Thirubhuvanam are unique among their construction. They were built in granite _ a tough task given the fact that no stone quarries are found in the vicinity. Of the four, the one at Darasuram is considered the jewel, for its fine workmanship and appealing scale. This 12th century architecture has many ornate sculptures of historical significance. The horse driven mandapa is a predecessor to the famous wheel at the Sun temple in Konarak. Darasuram temple has been declared as a World Heritage Site. The village is a weaving centre and the silk sarees are as beautiful as their Kanchipuram counterparts.
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