Kumbakonam also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India is a town and a special grademunicipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 273 kilometres fromChennai and is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district. The town is bounded by two rivers the Kaveri River to the north andArasalar River to the south. The Mahamaham festival that is celebrated once in 12 years is steeped in history and makes Kumbakonam a pilgrim hotspot when the festival comes around. It is one of the oldest towns in Tamil Nadu and once served as the capital of the Cholas (a Kingdom or Dynasty) in the 7th Century. Kumbakonam is a market town for surrounding agricultural villages and is famous for betel leaves which is a popular crop in the region.
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