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Muruga (also Murugan) (Tamil: முருகன்) is the most popular Hindu deity amongst Tamils of Tamil Nadu state in India and in the Tamil diaspora. He is also known by a number of other names, including Kartikeyan, Kumaran and Subramanian. Although he is popularly associated with the pan-Indian deity Skanda, there is evidence that Muruga worship, as seen today, has been a product of syncretism of an indigenous deity with Skanda. Image File history File links Example. ... The Brahmic family is a family of abugidas (writing systems) used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Mongolia, Manchuria. ... Image File history File links Murugan1. ... A bow is an ancient weapon that shoots arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow. ... Valli is the name of prominent Hindu god Skanda according to Tamil traditions. ... Devayani. ... Peacock re-directs here; for alternate uses see Peacock (disambiguation). ... Tamil ( à®¤à®®à®¿à®´à¯ ) is a classical language and the oldest of the Dravidian language family. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Languages Tamil Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Gonds The Tamil people are an ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... The Tamil diaspora is a term used to denote people of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lankan Tamil origin who have settled in many parts of the rest of India and Sri Lanka, or in other regions, particularly Malaysia, Singapore, the Middle East, Reunion, South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad and... Skanda is a name of a deity that is popular amongst practicing Hindus and Buddhists Skanda is a Hindu deity also known as Kartikeya and Murugan. ... Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. ... The indigenous peoples of Asia are the various groups identified as indigenous peoples within the region, as per the modern definition of that term. ...

Sati, the consort of Shiva immolated herself at the shakti of the Daksha Yagna, which was later destroyed by Shiva. Shakti was reborn as Uma, or Parvati the daughter of the mountain king Himavaan (the Himalayas). Shiva withdrew himself from the universe and engaged himself in yogic meditation in the Himalayas.

In the meanwhile, the demon Surapadman ravaged the earth and tormented its beings. It was realized by the gods that only the son born of Shiva and Parvati could lead the gods to victory over Tarakasuran, Surapadman and their demon companions. They plotted with Kaama, the lord of desire, to shoot a flower arrow at Shiva, as he sat in meditation, so as to make him fall in love with Parvati. When Kaama aimed his arrow at Shiva, he opened his third eye and burned him to ashes instantly. Upon hearing the pleas of Kama's wife Rati, he brought back Kama to life, in flesh and blood for her sake, and in a formless state for others. Surapadman getting slained by Murugan Surapadman is a demon of Sri Lanka who was slained by Lord Muruga in Hindu mythology. ...

His penance disturbed, Shiva fell in love with Parvati. However, the sparks of the fiery seed of Shiva were unbearable; even the fire God Agni could not bear them; this fire was then transported by the river Ganga into the Sara Vana forest, where Sara Vana Bhava was born. He was raised by the six Kartika damsels. Parvati combined these six babies into one with six faces, ie. Shanmukha. Shanmukha, or Kartikeya the supreme general of the devas, led the army of the devas to victory against the demons. The six sites at which Kartikeya sojourned while leading his armies against Surapadman are Tiruttanikai, Swamimalai, Tiruvavinankudi (Palani), Pazhamudirsolai, Tirupparamkunram and Tiruchendur. All these sites have ancient temples glorified by the tamil poems of Tirumurugaatruppadai of the Sangam period (prior to the 3rd century CE)

Major Temples

The main temples of Murugan are located in Southern Tamilnadu. They include the Aru Padaiveedu - Thiruchendur, Swamimalai, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparangunram, Palani, Thiruthani and other important shrines like Sikkal, Marudamalai, Vayalur, Kukke Subramanya and the temples in Srilanka and Malaysia . Image File history File links Suran. ... Image File history File links Suran. ... Surapadman getting slained by Murugan Surapadman is a demon of Sri Lanka who was slained by Lord Muruga in Hindu mythology. ... The Arupadiveedu (the six abodes) are the most important shrines for the devotees of Lord Muruga in Tamilnadu. ... Thiruchendur is a town in the district of Tirunelveli of Tamil Nadu, located 55 km south-east of Tirunelveli and 75 km north-east of Kanyakumari. ... Swamimalai is a small town near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, India. ... One of Arupadaiveedu of Lord Muruga. ... ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It is one of the Arupadaiveedu of Lord Muruga. ... This article is about the village of Sikkal. ... There are six PadaiVeedugal (Fort-Houses) for Lord Murugan. ... The Vayalur Murugan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Muruga, located near the city of Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) in Tamil Nadu, India. ... Kukke Subramanya is a famous Hindu cave temple dedicated to Subramanya (Lord Murugan) located in Subramanya, Karnataka,about 105 km from Mangalore. ...

In the Hindu epics

The first elaborate account of Kartikeya's origin occurs in the Mahabharata. In a complicated story, he is said to have been born from Agni and his wife after the latter impersonated the six of the seven wives of the 'Seven Sages'.The actual wives then become the Pleiades. Kartikeya is said to have been born to destroy the Asura Mahisha.(In latter mythology, Mahisha became the adversary of Durga.)Indra attacks Kartikeya as he see the latter as a threat, until Shiva intervenes and makes Kartikeya the commander-in-chief of the army of the Devas. He is also married to Devasena, Indra's daughter. The origin of this marriage lies probably in the punning of 'Deva-sena-pati'.It can mean either lord of Devasena or Lord of the army(sena) of Devas. Mahabharat redirects here. ... In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess, also identified with Parvati. ... herro For other uses, see Indra (disambiguation). ...

The Ramayana version is closer to the stories told in the Puranss discussed below. For the television series by Ramanand Sagar, see Ramayan (TV series). ...

Image File history File links RaviLord-Muruga. ... Image File history File links RaviLord-Muruga. ...

In the Hindu puranas

Though slightly varying versions occur in the Puranas, they broadly follow the same pattern. (By this period, the identification of Shiva/Rudra with Agni, that can be traced back to the Vedas and Brahmanas, had clearly made Kartikeya the son of Shiva.) Nilakantha redirects here. ... Rudra (Sanskrit: à¤°à¥à¤¦à¥à¤°à¤ƒ) (Howler) is a Rigvedic God of the storm, the hunt, death, Nature and the Wind. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... The Brahmana (Sanskrit à¤¬à¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤£) are part of the Hindu Shruti; They are composed in Vedic Sanskrit, and the period of their composition is sometimes referred to as the Brahmanic period or age (approximately between 900 BC and 500 BC). ...

The Skanda Purana narrates that Shiva, was married earlier to Dakshayani( also known as Shakti), the granddaughter of Brahma, and the daughter of Daksha. Daksha never liked Shiva (Shiva begs for food, lives in a graveyard covered with ashes being the Destructor, and has no possessions, not even good clothes for himself - symbolising detachment but disliked by Daksha) and insults Shiva in front of Dakshayini in a Yagna. Dakshayani self-immolates herself, unable to bear the humiliation. Having thus incurred Shiva's wrath, the Yagna is destroyed even though it was protected by all the other Gods & Rishis. Taraka believed that, since Shiva was an ascetic and his earlier marriage was itself conducted with great difficulty, his remarriage was out of the question, hence his boon of being killed by Shiva's son alone would give him invincibility. Skanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text believed to be written and compiled over a long period, from 6th century to 15th century, is the largest Purana, and is devoted mainly to the life and deed of Kartikeya (also called Skanda), a son of Shiva... This 14th century statue depicts Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right}. It is housed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. In Hinduism, Gowri or Dakshayani is the Goddess of marital felicity and longevity, who is worshipped particularly by ladies to seek the long life of...

The Devas manage to get Shiva married to Parvati (who was Dakshayani, reborn) by having Manmatha (also known as Kama), the god of love awaken him from his penance, incurring his wrath by opening his third eye of destruction, and being destroyed & resurrected. Shiva hands over his effulgence of the third eye used to destroy Manmatha to Agni, as he alone is capable of handling it till it becomes the desired offspring. But even Agni, tortured by its heat, hands it over to Ganga who in turn deposits it in a lake in a forest of reeds(Shara). The child is finally born in this forest(vana) with six faces-eesanam, sathpurusham, vamadevam, agoram, sathyojatham and adhomugam. He is first spotted and cared for by six women reprsenting the Pleiades - Kritika in Sanskrit. He thus gets named Kartikeya. As a young lad, he destroys Taraka. As this youthful saviour he is called Kumara(the Sanskrit word for youth). To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... In Hinduism, the Ganges River (called locally as the Ganga) is personified as a goddess, who holds an important place in the Hindu pantheon. ... THE TITLE IS WRONG MUST BE = Pleiades (Greek Mythology) Greek myths is not the only or more important for be considered as whole. ...

Early mention in Sangam literature

Tamil Sangam Literature (200BCE to 500CE) mentions Murugu as a nature spirit worshipped with animal sacrifices and associated with a non-Brahmanical priest known as a Velan , a name later used to refer to the deity himself. The worship of Murugu often occurred in the woods or in an open field, with no particular associated structure. The rituals practiced included the Veriyaattu, a form of ritual-trance-dancing, which is still a common part of Murugan worship in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Malaysia. Murugu was believed to hold power over the chaotic and could be appeased by sacrifices and Veriyaattu to bring order and prosperity. Image File history File links Tirutani_murugan. ... Image File history File links Tirutani_murugan. ... Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years 200 BCE and 300 CE.[1][2] This collection contains 2381 poems written by 473 poets, some 102 of whom are anonymous authors[3]. The period during which these poems were written is commonly referred to... Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... (IPA: ; , Written as àµ‡à´•à´°à´³à´‚ in the native language Malayalam) is a state on the Western Coast of south-western India. ...

Architectural findings of pottery in several places in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere had ideographic inscriptions of this name as far back as 3rd century BCE.^[1] According to noted epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan, the ideographs signify a brave warrior capable of killing evil demons to save the devoted. Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Epigraphy (Greek, ÎµÏ€Î¹Î³ÏÎ±Ï†Î® - written upon) is the study of inscriptions engraved into stone or other permanent materials, or cast in metal, the science of classifying them as to cultural context and date, elucidating them and assessing what conclusions can be deduced from them. ...

Lord Muruga was worshipped for giving the meaning of the Pranava Mantra ( OM ) to Lord Shiva himself.

Skandan in The Gita and a theological perspective

Muruga is also mentioned in the Gita. In chapter 10 (stanza 24), Krishna says of generals he is sKandan. This description very well fits into the core concepts of Hinduism - " Brahman" and its panentheistic theology. Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

As per strict definition of Hinduism, there is only one god - identified as the Brahman (not to be confused with Brahmin or Brahma). As per Gita, Brahman is the infinite or absolute perfection in every sense. Brahman is the Absolute reality. Brahman does not exist; it is existence itself. It is not all-knowing; it is knowledge itself. In some places it is said Brahman is any thing and every thing that will exist at any time. Brahman is where every thing originated from and every thing will end up. It is said in Gita that only a very few will be able to attach (or devote) themselves to this "formless" or "unlimited purity form" of Brahman. The mortals are encouraged to devote (or attach) themselves to Brahman through a form that is appropriate for them (For example, during the discourse of the Gita to Arjuna, Krishna shows up in his full form. Arjuna is afraid and can not relate that form. Krishna then appears as just another human being, that is more appropriate for Arjuna). These multiple human forms of god are considered to be "less abstract" or "personal forms" that human being can use to visualize "Brahman". Skanda or Murugan represents one such less abstract or personal form of "Brahman". The devotees see Skanda as the absolute Brahman itself. Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Syncretism with Skanda

The Tamil version of Skanda Purana, called Kandha Purānam, was written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar(1350-1420 A.D.) of Kumara Kottam in the city of Kanchipuram. He was a scholar in Tamil & Sanskrit literature, and a votary of the Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy. Tamil ( à®¤à®®à®¿à®´à¯ ) is a classical language and the oldest of the Dravidian language family. ... Skanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text believed to be written and compiled over a long period, from 6th century to 15th century, is the largest Purana, and is devoted mainly to the life and deed of Kartikeya (also called Skanda), a son of Shiva... Kanchipuram temple, engraved in 1811. ... Tamil ( à®¤à®®à®¿à®´à¯ ) is a classical language and the oldest of the Dravidian language family. ... Sanskrit ( , ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

According to legend, Kachiappa Sivacharyar would leave each day's compositions in the sanctum sanctorum or mūlasthānam of the Murugan shrine at Kumarakkottam, to find it returned in the morning with corrections, presumed to be made by the deity himself. Hence, the Kanda Purānam is widely considered to be an authoritative account of Murugan.

In the Kandha Purana, Kartikeya is the destroyer of Taraka and also of his elder and more powerful demonic brothers, Soorapadman and Simha-mukhan. Shiva let out a stream of fire from his third eye on his forehead, that split into six streams. Each landed as a baby on a lotus in a lake called Saravana Poigai. Nilakantha redirects here. ...

Six women, called Karthigai Pengal, literally Woman of the Pleiades saw the babies and each took one with her to look after. On the day of Karthigai, Parvati united the six children into a six-headed child, unable to cuddle all of them together. This is also the origin of a common Tamil name of the deity, Arumugan or Shanmugan, which literally means "one who has six faces". To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

Apart from the festival of Karthigai, the Thai Poosam festival, celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide, commemorates the day he was given a Vel or lance by his mother in order to vanquish the demons. Languages Tamil Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Gonds The Tamil people are an ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different pole weapons based on the spear. ... St. ...

The adoration of Kartikeya

Historically, Kartikeya enjoyed immense popularity in the Indian subcontinent. One of the major Puranas, the Skanda Purana is dedicated to him. In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 24), in the middle of the battlefied "Kurukshetra", Krishna explaining his omnipresence, says - "Of generals I am Skanda, the lord of war" which at the time of the battle is filled with the world's greatest generals like Bhishma, Drona, Bheema, Duryodana, Dushasana, Yudhishtir, Drupatiputra, and Abhimanyu. Skanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text believed to be written and compiled over a long period, from 6th century to 15th century, is the largest Purana, and is devoted mainly to the life and deed of Kartikeya (also called Skanda), a son of Shiva... Krishna to Arjuna: Behold My mystic opulence! Artwork Â© courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit: à¤à¤—à¤µà¤¦à¥ à¤—à¥€à¤¤à¤¾ - Bhagavad GÄ«tÄ) is an ancient Sanskrit text comprised of 700 verses from the Mahabharata (Bhishma Parva chapters 25 â€“ 42 [1]). Krishna, as the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita is referred to... Krishna with Radharani, 18th C Rajasthani painting Krishna (à¤•à¥ƒà¤·à¥à¤£ in Devanagari, in IAST ), according to various Hindu traditions, is the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ...

His presence in the religious and cultural sphere can be seen at least from the Gupta age. Two of the Gupta kings, Kumaragupta and Skandagupta were named after him. He is seen in the Gupta sculptures and in the temples of Ellora and Elephanta. As the commander of the divine armies, he became the patron of the ruling classes. His youth, beauty and bravery was much celebrated in the Sanskrit works like the Katha-Saritsagara. Kalidasa chose his birth as the subject of one of his epics. The contribution of the Maurya and the Gupta Empire to the Indian culture and philosophy was enormous. ... Skandagupta was a ruler of northern India under the Gupta dynasty. ... Kailasanatha Temple Ellora is an ancient village 30 km from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra famous for its magnificent rock cut architecture comprising of Buddhist, Hindu and Jaina cave temples and monasteries built between the 6th and 10th century A.D. These structures were excavated... Picture of a cave Elephanta Caves are located one and one-half hours (by boat) out of Mumbai on Elephanta Island in the Bombay Harbour. ...

However, his popularity in north India saw a great erosion from the Middle Ages. He slowly vanished from the scene and is today virtually unknown in these areas except in scholarly circles.The last vestige can be seen only in Bengal where he is worshipped during the Durga Puja along with Durga. Bengal, known as BÃ´ngo (Bengali: à¦¬à¦™à§à¦—), Bangla (à¦¬à¦¾à¦‚à¦²à¦¾), BÃ´ngodesh (à¦¬à¦™à§à¦—à¦¦à§‡à¦¶), or Bangladesh (à¦¬à¦¾à¦‚à¦²à¦¾à¦¦à§‡à¦¶) in the Bengali language, is a region in the northeast of South Asia. ... A priest worshipping a contemporary idol of Durga, shown riding her lion and attacking the demon Mahisasur. ... In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess, also identified with Parvati. ...

This surprising change may perhaps be attributed to the fact that he was strongly associated with the ruling classes and from the Middle Ages most of the ruling houses were Muslims.

Popularity in the Tamil lands

In North India, the popularity of Skanda waned except for in the South of India; Muruga has enjoyed continuous popularity with all classes of society right from the Sangam age. This lead to the more elaborate accounts of his mythology in the Tamil language. South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... now. ... Tamil ( à®¤à®®à®¿à®´à¯ ) is a classical language and the oldest of the Dravidian language family. ...

He married two deities, Valli and Devayani. The latter is identical to Devasena and the former is a daughter of a tribal chief. However, other Hindu legends state he is unmarried, and call him Kumaraswami, Kumara meaning a bachelor and Swami meaning God. Valli is the name of prominent Hindu god Skanda according to Tamil traditions. ... Devayani. ... http://www. ...

Muruga rides a peacock and wields a bow in battle. The lance called Vel in Tamil is a weapon closely associated with him. The Vel was given to him by his mother, Parvati, and embodies her energy and power. The flag of his army depicts a rooster. In the war, Shoorapadman was split into two, and was granted a boon by Murugan, to become the peacock, and the rooster. Peacock re-directs here; for alternate uses see Peacock (disambiguation). ... A bow is an ancient weapon that shoots arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow. ... Tamil ( à®¤à®®à®¿à®´à¯ ) is a classical language and the oldest of the Dravidian language family. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... A rooster or cock is a male chicken, the female being a hen. ... A rooster or cock is a male chicken, the female being a hen. ...

As Muruga is worshipped predominantly in south India, many of his names are of Tamil origin. These include Senthil the "Red" or formidable one; Arumuga the six-faceted one; Muruga; Guha; Maal-Marugan nephew of Vishnu and many others. South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ...

The Lord Subramanya is worshipped wih utmost devotion in districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in state of Karnataka.There are many rituals like nagaradhane which are unique practised in these districts of India. Location of Dakshina Kannada district with respect to the other districts of Karnataka. ... IMPORTANT NOTICE TO TRAVELLERS TO DAKSHINA KANNADA (AND MANGALORE) AREA: PLEASE NOTE THAT MANGALORE AND THE NEARBY AREAS IN THE DISTRICT OF DAKSHINA KANNADA ARE PRONE TO MOB VIOLENCE BETWEEN HINDUS AND MOSLEMS [1]. EXTREMIST ORGANISATIONS LIKE SIMI AND BAJRANG DAL ARE ACTIVE IN THE AREA, ACCORDING TO THE HOME... KarnÄtakÄ (Kannada: à²•à²¨à²¾à³¯à²Ÿà²•) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Nagaradhane or snake worship, along with Bhuta Kola is one of the unique traditions, prevalent in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in Karnataka. ...

Differences in Northern and Southern traditions

There seem to be some intriguing differences in the traditions associated with Kartikeya in the North and South of India.

Elder Brother

The Sanskrit epics and Puranas seem to indicate that he was the eldest son of Shiva, as the tale of Shiva's marriage to Parvati indicates. In the Shiva Purana, he is seen helping Shiva fight the newly born Ganesha, Shiva's other son, when Ganesha stopped Shiva from entering his home in Kailasa. The Shiva Purana is one of the Hindu purÄnas. ... In Hinduism, Ganesha (Sanskrit: à¤—à¤£à¥‡à¤¶ or à¤¶à¥à¤°à¥€à¤—à¤£à¥‡à¤¶ ( ) (when used to distinguish lordly status) (or lord of the hosts, also spelled as Ganesa and Ganesh, often also referred to as Ganapati) is one of the most well-known and venerated representations of God. ... Kailasa (also called Kailash) is believed to be the home of Lord Shiva by Hindus, and is a pilgrimage site. ...

Younger Brother

The south has all along maintained that he was the younger of the two. A Puranic story has Ganesha obtain a divine mango of knowledge from Narada winning a contest with Murugan. While Murugan speeds around the world thrice to win the contest for the mango, Ganesha circumambulates Shiva and Parvati thrice as an equivalent and is given the mango. After winning it, he offers to give the mango to his upset brother. After this event, Ganesha was considered the elder brother owing as a tribute to his wisdom.

Bachelor

Married

Kartikeya worship in Sri Lanka

Kartikeya, or Murugan is adored in the large Tamil population in Sri Lanka, and numerous Murugan temples exist in the North and East of Sri Lanka, as well as in the capital city of Colombo. He is a favorite deity of the common folk everywhere and it is said he never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon.

In southern Sri Lanka, Kartikeya, or Murugan, is worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists alike at the temple in Kataragama (Kathirkamam), where he is known as Katragama Deviyo (Lord of Katragama), or Kathiravel. Local legend holds that Lord Murugan alighted in Kataragam and was smitten by Valli, one of the local aboriginal lasses. After a courtship, they were married. This event is taken to signify that Lord Murugan is accessible to all who worship and love him, regardless of their birth or heritage.

Other names

Aryan or Dravidian

Some followers of the controversial Aryan Migration (formerly Invasion) theory claim that Murugan of ancient Tamil is different from Skanda of Vedas, by citing a few differences. However, the similarities far outweigh the differences.

Similarities

Differences

Some vigrahams of Murugan have him holding a weapon a little different from the Vel (lance), considered a Vajrayudham.

Contents

Major Temples

In the Hindu epics

In the Hindu puranas

Early mention in Sangam literature

Skandan in The Gita and a theological perspective

Syncretism with Skanda

The adoration of Kartikeya

Popularity in the Tamil lands

Differences in Northern and Southern traditions

Elder Brother

Younger Brother

Bachelor

Married

Kartikeya worship in Sri Lanka

Other names

Aryan or Dravidian

Similarities

Differences

See also

References

External links

Contents

Major Temples GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

In the Hindu epics

In the Hindu puranas

Early mention in Sangam literature

Skandan in The Gita and a theological perspective

Syncretism with Skanda

The adoration of Kartikeya

Popularity in the Tamil lands

Differences in Northern and Southern traditions

Elder Brother

Younger Brother

Bachelor

Married

Kartikeya worship in Sri Lanka

Other names

Aryan or Dravidian

Similarities

Differences

See also

References

External links

Major Temples