Cumbum, India

History

The name Cumbum is derived from Cumbaraya Perumal, the temple around which the town has been built. An article in the newspaper Dinamalar recounted the temple's origins:

"A king ruling this region then desired to build a temple for Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu in a single premises, Perumal appeared in his dream and said that there was a stone post at the foot hills of western ghats and that His idol was there. The king found Perumal there and installed Him here. As the Lord was found under a stone post (Cumbam), He was named Kambaraya Perumal and the place Cumbum. He also brought a Sivalinga from Kasi-Varanasi and built the Shiva temple. He celebrated the consecration of the temples the same day. The Holy tree Vanni(வன்னி மரம்) is worshipped as Lord Brahma. People thus have the opportunity of worshipping Lords Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma in a single temple premises."

During the British period, after the enactment of the Criminal Tribes Act, several settlements were created by the government. Members belonging to the notified communities were forced to remove to the Cumbum area.

From the History section of Cumbum, Tamil Nadu on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.