Today the 9th of March 2009, is the birthday of our father, he was born on a Masi Maham day the sigificance of masi maham is detailed below.
Masi Maham thus has been an annual festival in the Tamil month of Masi. But once in every twelve years - in addition to the full moon being in conjunction with the Maham natchaththiram in the month of Masi, the moving of the planet Jupiter into the Singa Rasi too takes place simultaneously. The Masi Maham which comes with this astronomical combination is called the Maha Maham and celebrated especially in Kumbakonam at Adi Kumbeswaran temple in a very big way. There are two theerththams (tanks) at this temple. One tank is called Maha Maham tank while the other is called as Pottramarai tank. The Tamil Saiva Saint Thirugnanasambanthar on his pilgrimage to the holy shrines in Tamil Nadu went to this temple - known as Kudanthai Kaaronam temple during his time - (Kumbeswaran Siva Temple) in Kumbakonam, and in describing his vist to this temple Saint Poet Seikkeelar in his Tamil religious treatise on 63 Tamil Saiva Saints - namely the Periyapuranam praises the big theerththam therein, and mentions having a sacred bath or dip in same is held as sacred as having a bath in the holy river Gangai on this Maha Maham day which is as follows: “Poomaruvum Gangai muthat punithamaam perun theerththa m Ma Maham thaan aaduthatku vanthu vali padum Koil” Periyapuranam by Seikkeelar (In Tamil) – Thirugnanasampantha Swamihal Puranam, Verse 409 Even the Tamil Saiva Saint Thirunavukkarasar refers to the holy theertha Tanks at Kumbakonam in the vicinity of Kudanthai Keelkottam Siva temple as follows. “....thavi muthat kaviri nal yamunai, gangai, saraswathi, pottramarai, putkarani, then neer koviyodu, kumari varu theerththam soolnththa kudanthai keel koattatthu eng Kooththanaare....” 6th Thirumurai (In Tamil) – pathikam 75 – paadal 10 This is further confirmed by the Tamil Saint Thirunavukkarasar who has made the following reference in his pathikam on the sacred shrine Thiru Kudamuukku also in Kumbakonam as follows: “Gangai yal aval kanni enappadum kongaiyal uraiyum Kudamuukkile” “Godavari uraiyum Kudamuukkile" “Samiyodu Saraschuwathi aval Komiyum uraiyum Kudamuukkile”