 Kumbakonam is known as a "temple city" due to the prevalence of a number of temples here and is noted for its Mahamaham festival which attracts people from all over the country.Kumbakonam dates back to the Sangam period and was ruled by the Early Cholas, Pallavas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Pandyas, the Vijayanagara Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Thanjavur Nayaks and the Thanjavur Marathas.It rose to be a prominent town between the 7th and 9th centuries AD, when it served as a capital of the Medieval Cholas.