Kartikeya (Murugan)

A demon once turned himself into a giant mango tree, hoping to escape a war god’s spear. It didn’t work — and the split tree explains two sacred animals still worshipped today.

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Art and Culture · ArtnCulture0069

Kartikeya (Murugan)

Hindu god of war, son of Shiva and Parvati

Skanda

Subrahmanya

Kumara

Murugan

Vel

Divine spear, gifted by Parvati to fight evil

Peacock & Rooster

Born from the split mango tree of demon Surapadman

The Arupadaiveedu — Six Abodes in Tamil Nadu

1

Thiruparankundram

2

Tiruchendur

3

Palani

4

Swamimalai

5

Thiruthani

6

Pazhamudircholai

Thaipusam

Murugan’s major festival falls on the full moon of Tamil month Thai (Jan-Feb). It marks Parvati gifting him the Vel, before his war on the demon Surapadman.

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Must Know

• Kartikeya is the Hindu god of war, and the second son of Shiva and Parvati.
• He is also widely known as Murugan, especially across Tamil Nadu.
• Other names for him include Skanda, Subrahmanya, and Kumara.
• He is the younger brother of the god Ganesha.

Good to Know

• His mother, Parvati, gave him a divine spear, called the Vel, to fight evil.
• With it, he defeated the demon Surapadman, in a great war described in the Skanda Purana.
• Surapadman tried to escape by turning himself into a giant mango tree.
• Murugan split the tree in two with his Vel; one half became a peacock, the other a rooster.
• The peacock became his sacred mount; the rooster became the emblem on his battle flag.
• He has two consorts: Valli, a tribal chief’s daughter, and Devasena, daughter of the god Indra.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war and second son of Shiva and Parvati, is also widely worshipped across Tamil Nadu by which other name?

Ganesha

Murugan

Indra

Varuna

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Great to Know

• Tamil Nadu hosts six major Murugan temples, together called the Arupadaiveedu, or “Six War-Camps.”
• They are Thiruparankundram, Tiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Thiruthani, and Pazhamudircholai.
• Tamil tradition holds that each temple marks a site linked to his battles or blessings.
• His major festival, Thaipusam, falls on the full moon of the Tamil month of Thai, in January or February.
• It commemorates Parvati gifting him the Vel, before his war against Surapadman.
• Scholars believe the Tamil deity Murugan later merged with the Vedic deity Subrahmanya, after the Sangam era.
• That merger helped make him one of Tamil Nadu’s most widely worshipped gods today.