Guest guest Posted October 26, 2003 Report Share Posted October 26, 2003 Skanda Sashti or Kandar Sashti is a grand festival celebrated in the Saivite temples,all over TamilNadu,especially in the temples dedicated to Lord Skanda or Muruga. The festival is celebrated in the sixth day of the Tamil month of Aippasi in commemoration of the annihilation of demons Tarakasura and Surapadman. This day of festival is considered as the day of destruction of evil by the Supreme General Karthikeya,son of Shiva. Skanda Sashti festival is mainly celebrated in a great splendour in two of the six abodes of Skanda-the "Aru Padai Veedus",namely Tiruparankundram and Tirchendur. Samratchana at Ramrajya ,kelambakkam, also celebrates Kandar Shashti for all the six days , in great splendour . There are lot of cultural programmes on the different events of Lord Muruga. The surasamharam is enacted to depict the culmination of the evil Suran by Muruga. Many Devotees fast during the 6 days. The termination of asuras by the divine God Subramanya is enacted and is called as "Soora Samharam". At Sikkal, the festival image of Subramanya receives a spear, from the Ambal shrine, and breaks out for the war, a day before the climax of the festival. The fierce war with the asuras is said to have occured for six days. Corresponding to the six days of the war over the evil forces, devotees undertake fasts, prayers and devotional singing to Lord Muruga. Most of them stay in the temples during these six days. The devotees take kavadi,as an offering to the god in the form of Kavadi. The story connected with the celebration of this festival is the story of the birth of Skanda and the fulfillment of the purpose of His divine incarnation. The legend is that,there lived a demon named Tarakasura, who tormented the Devas and the human. Devas and their king Indra went to Brahma,the creator and came to know that, only the progeny of Shiva could defeat the asuras. But as Shiva was in a deep state of meditation they could not approach Him. Goddess Parvathi started meditating upon Her Lord for this divine cause. Kama the king of love,agreed to arouse Shiva from his Yoga. Disturbed with his arrows of Love,Lord Shiva opened His third eye,from which came the furious fire of anger which burnt Kama into ashes. This ball of agni was thrown into the water of Sara Vana,a forest of arrow like grass. The six sparks of fire turned to 6 babies,nursed by six mothers of the divine constellation of Krithikai. Parvathi gathered all the six babies and made them as one,called as Shanmukha-God with one body and six faces. Shanmukha became Kumara - the powerful general of the God's army the so called"Deva senapathi". His mother Parasakthi gifted Skanda a powerful lance(Vel). Hence He is also called as Sakthi Velan. He and His army destroyed the asuras Simhamukha, Surapadman and Tarakasura on a six day battle and vanquished all of them on the sixth day. The Devas were liberated. Indra was restored to his kingdom and gave his daughter Deivayanai or Devasena in marriage to Skanda. The sixth day or the Sashti of the waxing moon during the month of October-November is celebrated as Skandha Sashti. Kandanukku Arohara, Muruganukku Arohara!! Hema Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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