Editing Kumbakonam (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Kumbakonam Cauvery.jpg|thumb|River Kaveri as viewed from bridge|alt=a river with a small brick structure in the middle]]
Kumbakonam is located at {{Coord|10.97|N|79.42|E|}}.<ref name="astrop508">{{cite book|title=The Astrological magazine|page=508|publisher=Roman Publications|year=1983}}</ref> It is situated {{convert|273|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of [[Chennai]],<ref name="educationworld">{{cite book|title=Education world: the human development magazine, Volume 8, Issues 7–12|publisher=D. Thakore|year=2006}}</ref> {{convert|96|km|mi|abbr=on}} east of [[Tiruchirappalli]], about {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} north-east of [[Thanjavur]].<ref name="indianplacenames">{{cite book|title=Studies in Indian place names|first=Madhav N.|last= Katti|publisher=Place Names Society of India|year=1980}}</ref>, and about 35 km (22 mi) south-west of [[Mayiladuthurai]]. It lies in the region called the "Old [[River delta|delta]]" which comprises the north-western taluks of Thanjavur district that have been naturally irrigated by the waters of the Cauvery and its tributaries for centuries in contrast to the "New Delta" comprising the southern taluks that were brought under irrigation by the construction of the [[Grand Anicut]] canal and the Vadavar canal in 1934.<ref name="goughp5">[[#Gough|Gough]] 1981, p. 5</ref><ref name="womenworkersp139">{{cite book|title=Limited options: women workers in rural India|page=139|last=A. V. |first=Jose|publisher=International Labour Organisation|year=1939|isbn=9221067173}}</ref> It has an average elevation of 26&nbsp;metres (85&nbsp;ft).<ref name="sindianrailwayp217">{{cite book|title=Illustrated guide to the South Indian Railway: including the Mayavaram-Mutupet, and Peralam-Karaikkal railways|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_irg2AAAAMAAJ|year=1900|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_irg2AAAAMAAJ/page/n241 217]|publisher=[[Higginbotham's]]}}</ref> The town is bounded by two rivers, the [[Cauvery River]] on the north and [[Arasalar River]] on the south.<ref name="southindianshrinesp320" />

Although the Cauvery delta is usually hot, the climate of Kumbakonam and other surrounding towns is generally healthy<ref name="bayofbengalpilotp11">{{cite book|title=The Bay of Bengal pilot|page=11|year=1910|publisher=Great Britain Hydrographic Department}}</ref> and moderate.<ref name="industrialdevelopmentp481">{{cite book|title=Industrial development potential survey of selected towns of India|page=481|publisher=Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry|year=1977}}</ref> Kumbakonam is cooler than Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.<ref name="censusp45">{{cite book|title=Census of India, 1961: Madras|page=45|publisher=Manager of Publications|year=1962}}</ref> The maximum temperature in summer is about {{convert|40|°C|°F}} while the minimum temperature is about {{convert|20|°C|°F}}.<ref name="hydrologyp776">{{cite book|title=Hydrology and Water Resources of India|first=Sharad K.|last= Jain|author2=Pushpendra K. Agarwal |author3=Vijay P. Singh |date=17 January 2007 |publisher=Springer|page=776|isbn=978-1402051791}}</ref> Kumbakonam receives an annual rainfall of {{convert|114.78|cm|in|abbr=on}} every year.<ref name="powerp7025">{{cite book|title=Gifts of power: lordship in an early Indian state|first=James|last= Heitzman|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1997|isbn=0195639782}}</ref> The region is covered with mainly [[alluvial]] or [[Vertisol|black soil]] which is conducive for [[Paddy field|rice cultivation]].<ref name="goughp5" /> Other crops grown in Kumbakonam include [[mulberry]], [[cereals]] and [[sugarcane]].<ref name="southindiap141">[[#W.|W.]] 1988, p. 141</ref><ref name="classp17">{{cite book|title=CASTE, CLASS, AND POWER|page=17|first=André|last= Béteille|author-link=André Béteille|publisher=University of California Press|year=1971}}</ref>

The town of Kumbakonam is surrounded by extensive paddy fields. Methods of irrigation were considerably improved following the opening of the [[Mettur Dam]] in 1934.<ref name="interdictp503" /><ref name="goughp5" /> The [[fauna]] of the Cauvery Delta is limited to [[cattle]] and [[goats]].<ref name="southindiap141" /> The town is situated at the western flank of the Kumbakonam-[[Shiyali]] [[ridge]] which runs along the Kollidam river<ref name="journalp31">[[#Micropalaeontology|Micropalaeontology]] 1972, p. 31</ref> basin separating the [[Ariyalur]]-[[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] depression from the [[Nagapattinam]] [[Depression (geology)|depression]].<ref name="journalp34">[[#Micropalaeontology|Micropalaeontology]] 1972, p. 34</ref><ref name="mineralexplorationp253">{{cite book|title=Mineral exploration: recent strategies|last=S.|first= Rajendran|page=253|publisher=New India Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-8189422714}}</ref> This granular ridge projects further eastwards penetrating the Puducherry depression and forms a hard layer of [[cretaceous]] rock underneath the [[sedimentary]] [[topsoil]].<ref name="mineralexplorationp253" /><ref name="geologicalsocietyp269">{{cite book|title=Journal of the Geological Society of India, Volume 46|page=269|publisher=Geological Society of India|year=1995}}</ref>