 |
| Masi maham 2021, Tamil nadu..sociallykeeda.com |
Masi Maham, or Maasi Magam, an auspicious day in the Tamil month of Masi (February – March) is celebrated across Tamil Nadu with devotion and this year it began on 22 February; the main Maasi Magam event is on 27 February. An important festival for the Hindus, in particular Tamils, the temple city of Kumbakonam becomes a beehive of activities during the festival season. Mahm or Makam, one among the twenty seven stars (Nakshatras) in the Hindu astrological system, assumes much importance and the traditional ritual has been the bathing of Temple idols - murtis or vigrahams in any near-by water body - river, sea, temple water tank or lake. This year .Magam Nakshathram begins at 12.35 pm on February 26, 2021,and ends at 11.18 am on February 27, 2021.
 |
| Masimaham festival,- February-March, Tamil Nadu.adotrip.com |
 |
Location map Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.kumbakonam.com
|
The temple utchava mutthis (processional idols) of gods and goddess that are daily worshipped by the devotees are reverentially carried in a procession to the water bodies where Pujas and rituals are conducted by the temple priests in the presence of thousands of devotees who throng the temple water tank, etc to witness the auspicious event and get blessed by the deities. According to the Hindu belief those who take a holy bath on the day of Masi Maham in the temple tank, etc will attain salvation or Moksha - not to under go the rigors' of rebirth and death. Masi Maham festival assumes the greatest significance every twelve years and the main venue is Maha Maha Kulam (water tank) in the prime location of Kumbakonam. The next major event will be in Feb-March 2028.. More than one million devotees from Tamil Nadu and other states will attend the Mahamahamm festival in Kumbakonam. The last Mahamaham took place on 22 February 2016 with roughly a million people from various places taking the holy dip in the holy tank (coverings over 20 acres). In this city twelve Shiva temples or Shivalayas are connected with the major Mahamaham festival that has assumed much importance since the visit of Krishandevaraya of Vijayanagara dynasty during 1445 CE.
 |
The Mahamaham tank is surrounded by Shiva mandapams,Wikipedia.
|
 |
1900 Mahamaham festival, Kumbakonam, upload.wikimedia.org
|
During the annual Maham event, at various Shiva, Vishnu and Shakti temples, special pujas are done to the presiding deities and the processional idols are taken to the near by river bank or sea shore for abhishekam -bathing, puja, etc. In Tamil Nadu, besides Kumbakonam, places like Srirangam, Thiruvannamalai, Erode, Tirunelveli, Rameswaram etc., are quite known for the Maham festival events.
On the Maham day 27th February at Kumbaknonam processional deities from temples such as Adhi Kumbeswarar, Kasi Viswanathan, Nageswarar, etc along with their respective consorts were taken in Rishaba vahanam - mount to the bank of the Mahamaham tank for traditional ritual. Though a large section of devotees was on the banks of the Mahamaham tank, they were not allowed to take a dip in the tank. At the tank the priests conducted ritual ablutions with 21 puja materials, etc. After this event, despite the orders from the district administration not to take bathe in the tank, lots of devotees took a head bath in the tank. Owing to threats of Covid-19 - possible second cycle, the congregation of devotees was far less than last year.
Hundreds of devotees thronged the Vaithikuppam beach on Saturday to offer worship on the occasion of the ‘Masi Magam’ festival.‘Theerthavari’ ceremony was held with the participation of Utcha murthis from roughly 100 temple in Puducherry and adjoining areas. Once the puja was over, devotees took a dip in the beach and paid respect to the deities and also many did tharpanam - paying obeisance to their forefathers.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/masi-magam-festival-celebrated/article33952270.ece
.jpg)
