As the first rays of the sun pierce through the thick clouds on an overcast morning, Kumbakonam wakes up to an idyllic dayg. The hymns of Sri Venkateshwara suprabhatam play in the background. Women deftly cover the courtyard of their homes with symmetrical kolams. The subtle fragrance of freshly strung malligai (jasmine) from the baskets of the bicycle flower vendors fills the air. Perched on the southern bank of the Kaveri River, the sacred town of Kumbakonam in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu traces its origin to the third century. Home to over 180 temples, the city is equally famous for its Chola Nadu cuisine, which dates back to the Chola reign of the ninth century.
Given that Kumbakonam is a temple town, it is a great place to sample delectable vegetarian food—Chola Nadu cuisine draws from the Vathimal Bharmanal community—which include local delicacies like pongal, both sweet and savoury, such as sarkarai pongal made of jaggery; milagu pongal made of black pepper and moong dal; and puli pongal made of tamarind. Then there is the masala vadai and kuzhi paniyaram. The latter is made using a mould with cavities. Into the cavities is poured a batter of rice and urad dal which is occasionally seasoned with onions and spices like pepper, chillies etc.
Evening snacks include a variety of sevai (rice noodles) like coconut sevai, pulisevai, along with adai, paruppuvada (chana dal vada) and valalikkai bajji (banana fritters). Thanjavur is famous for rice dishes; in fact, it is known as the ‘rice bowl of south India’, and one can find dishes like puliyodharai, sambhar sadam, as also a variety of millet dishes like kutharaivalli dosai. Ragi koozh is another famous preparation of the region which is essentially a nutritious porridge of fermented finger millet and rice. It is savoured with raw onions and chillies.
Ancient records of the Chola dynasty talk of how paddy, sugarcane, banana, brinjal, black gram, cow peas and spinach would be cooked in soapstone kallu chattis or earthen manchattis. It was also deemed auspicious to offer guests chatti choru or a pot full of rice. The cuisine, though primarily a vegetarian one, also has a history of rice and meat cooked together in a dish called kari choru.
The Chola Nadu cuisine is all about the balance of all six tastes—sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, salty and astringent. White pumpkin mor kuzhambu (a curd-based savoury gravy), vazhaithanduthayir pachadi (banana stem raita) and manathakkalivatha kulambu (a flavourful side dish prepared using black night shade or sunberry), snake gourd kootu (a side dish made with lentils, coconut and spices) are just some of the other authentic dishes one can sample when here. It can all be washed down with a cup of the trademark Kumbakonam Degree filter coffee. The latter is a signature brew of the region and is a dark roast of both Arabica and Robousta coffee beans.
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The city is also a haven for indigenous crafts. Swamimalai, situated about eight km from Kumbakonam, is a prominent centre for bronze casting where artisans use the traditional lost wax process. Also located in proximity is Nachiarkoil, which is famous for its GI-accorded handcrafted ornamental brass lamps, locally called Nachiarkoil Kuthuvilakku. Thirubuvanam, about seven km from Kumbakonam, is home to a small cluQster of weavers who are known for crafting Tanjore silk saris. Bright colours and traditional motifs like flowers, birds, temples and the rudraksham (rudraksha beads) characterise these drapes. A unique jacquard technique to craft the motifs and a rich one-sided border are other unique features of these handwoven saris, a tradition that dates back to the Chola period.