The streets that run between the major temples — Big Bazaar Road, Town Hall Road, and the lanes leading to the Mahamaham tank — form one of the most atmospheric bazaars in Tamil Nadu. Kumbakonam is a noted centre for brassware and silver puja items, sold from shops whose owners often display the family-made trays of oil lamps, bells, and small Nataraja figures in the doorway.
Silk and cotton sari shops are concentrated near the main Adi Kumbeswarar temple gates. Coffee houses and tiffin restaurants are scattered through the bazaar — many travellers spend their afternoons drifting through these streets between temple visits.