The Masimaham is an annual event that occurs in the Tamil month of Masi in the star of Magam in kumbakanom which is a very beautiful and ancient and holy place. Once in twelve years, when the planet Guru (Jupiter) enters Simha (Leo) sign a larger festival is celebrated at Mahamaham tank.Vast crowds gather at Kumbakonam to have a dip in the tank, along with saints and philosophers. All the rivers of India are believed to meet at the tank on this day and a purificatory bath at this tank on this day is considered equal to the combined dips in all the holy rivers of India Festival deities from all the temples in Kumbakonam arrive at the tank and at noon, all the deities bathe along with the devotees - it is called "Theerthavari".The purificatory bath is believed to remove sins and after the dip, pilgrims offer charitable gifts in the hope of being rewarded in the current life and subsequent lives.The temple cars of major temples in Kumbakonam come around the city on the festival night. During the Mahamaham of 1992, the number of devotees reached 1 million.
