Pancha Krosha Sthalas

The pot containing nectar and the seed of creation was decorated by Lord Brahma with the sacred thread. A coconut was placed over it with mango leaves and Darbha grass and the same was kept on the peak of Mount Meru.

https://freeglobaluniversity.blogspot.com/search/label/Meru

At the time of deluge, the sacred pot was carried by the currents to Kumbakonam where it got tilted. Now Lord Siva came here disguising himself as a hunter and aimed an arrow at the vessel and broke it.

The place from where Lord Siva aimed the arrow at the pot came to be known as Banapuresam (banam means arrow). There is a shrine here for Lord Siva under the name Banapuriswarar.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Banapuriswarar

Due to the impact of the arrow on the pot, the coconut, mango leaves, sacred thread, etc., with which the vessel had been decorated, fell at different places, where we find today shrines dedicated to Siva.

The nectar in the broken pot spread out on the ground up to a distance of 5 Krosas, i.e., 10 miles, and touched the five famous shrines of Siva around Kumbakonam, namely

1. Tiruvidaimarudur, 
2. Tirunageswarm, 
3. Tirudharasuram, 
4. Tiruvoragam and 
5. Tirupadalvanam, 

and hence these five places came to be known as Pancha Krosa Sthalas.

The nectar settled at two places on of which became the famous

1. Mahamakham Tank and 
2. Potramarai Kulam (tank of golden lotuses) of Sarangapani temple. 

From the drops and spray of the nectar, there arose innumerable holy tanks.


Out of the pieces of the broken pot Lord Siva made out a Siva Linga and entered into it. The sthalapurana states that this is the very Linga now enshrined in the temple,  name Adi Kumbeswarar.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Kumbeswarar

and hence the pilgrim is required to visit these places first before entering the temple of Adi Kumbeswarar

Mouth of Pot
https://kuinformation.blogspot.com/search/label/Kudavasal