Gauthameswarar Temple Explained

Gowthameswarar Temple
Country:	India
State:	Tamil Nadu
District:	Thanjavur
Location:	Kumbakonam
Deity:	Gowthameswarar(Shiva) Soundara Nayaki(goddess)

Gauthameswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located at Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Location

This temple is located to the eastern bank of the Mahamaham tank, Kumbakonam.^[1]

Presiding deity

The moolavar presiding deity, is found in his manifestation as Gauthameswarar. His consort, Parvati, is known as Soundara Nayaki. The thread around the kumba fell in this place and the linga was formed. It is said that Gowthama muni to get rid of the sin due to killing of a cow worshipped the deity of the temple.^[1]

Specialty

12 Shiva temples are connected with Mahamaham festival which happens once in 12 years in Kumbakonam. They are :

• Kasi Visanathar Temple,
• Adi Kumbeswarar Temple,
• Someswarar Temple,
• Nageswaraswamy Temple,
• Kalahasteeswarar Temple,
• Gowthameswarar Temple,
• Kodeeswarar Temple,
• Amirthakadeswarar Temple,
• Banapuriswarar Temple,
• Abimukeswarar Temple,
• Kambatta Viswanathar Temple and
• Ekambareswarar Temple.

This temple is one among them.^[2]

Kumbabishegam

The Kumbabishegam of the temple was held on 9 September 2015.^[3]

9.9.2015 Kumbabishegam

10.9549°N 79.3798°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Gauthameswarar Temple, Kumbakonam . 17 September 2015 . 13 October 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151013104537/http://kumbakonamtemples.in/gautameswarar-temple.html . dead .
2. Mahamaham Festival 2004 (in Tamil), Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, 2004
3. http://www.dinamani.com/edition_trichy/tanjore/2015/09/10/%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BF-%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%B4%E0%AF%81/article3020056.ece குடந்தை கௌதமேஸ்வரர் கோயில் குடமுழுக்கு, Dinamani, Tamil Daily, 10 September 2015