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 The divine creation of Lord Subrahmanya, also known as Skanda (or Kanda, in Tamil), Karthikeya or Murugan, to alleviate the sufferings of the Devas is believed to have occurred on Vaikasi Visakam. Every year, Vaikasi Visakam is observed as the birthday of Lord Subrahmanya, during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (Mid May - mid June). (Visakam is one of the 27 Nakshatras). This year Visakam is celebrated today. In Murugan temples all over Tamil Nadu, it is an important occasion and is celebrated with religious fervour.
Soora Padman and Tharakasura were brothers who were terrorising the Devas. Unable to bear their cruelty anymore, the Devas requested Lord Parameswara to save them from the brothers. Lord Siva opened his Third Eye - the one seen in his forehead (nettrikkan - normally, it is believed that he opened it very rarely) - to emit six sparks. These sparks were carried by Agni, Vayu and the Devas to the Ganga and Ganga in turn carried them to Saravana Poigai, a stream where it is believed that the fire sparks took the shape of six male babies, cradled by lotus flowers that floated in the stream.
Six young girls (Karthigai Pengal), who saw the babies floating in the river, took them and reared them till Goddess Parvathi came there and fondly hugged the six babies to her bosom. The six babies coalesced to form into a single child with six faces and twelve hands. And that is how Lord Shanmukha (literally meaning ‘six faces’) was born to save the Devas. When the appropriate time came, Skanda got himself ready to fight Soora Padman and his clan, finely equipped with arms. Above all, Goddess Parvathi gave Him the Sakthi Vel with which Subrahmanya fought the Asuras. At last, when Soora Padman’s wife requested the Lord to spare her husband, Skanda honoured her request by leaving him to remain as His flag (seval kodi- the flag with a cock emblem) and His vehicle - peacock (Mayilvahanam). As a mark of gratitude, Devendra married off his daughter Deivanai to Skanda. The fierce war took place in Tiruchendur and Tharakasura, it is believed, was killed in Tirupporur, near Chennai.
Tirupporur attained its name because the war between Lord Muruga and the Asuras began here. It is about 30 km from Chennai. The Kandaswamy temple here was established by Sri. Chidambara Swamigal in the 17th century. The saint had a vision of Lord Muruga along with His spouses Valli and Deivanai and it is said that the Lord asked the saint to unearth Him from the ground. He did the same and built this temple. The temple is built in the shape of Tamil letter OM. That is to say, the different Sannidhis are situated accordingly. People from Chennai and nearby towns throng the temple during Bharani, Krithigai and especially during Adi Krithigai, Thai Krithigai and Vaikasi Visakam. Another significance here is that, Saint Chidambara Swamigal attained his Jeeva Samadhi on the same day of Vaikasi
Visakam.
So, there will be Guru Puja to the Swamigal in the morning at his Samadhi (which is near the temple) and there will be a procession of the deities (Lord Muruga with His spouses) late in the evening. " The Lord will give a special Darshan to the Swamigal whose idol will be brought from his Samadhi. This is a special feature here," says Gurukkal Sri. Ravichandran. The philosophical connotation is that Lord Parameswara, in order to destroy the evils, gave life (as the sixth face) to the five elements - Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Space and took the form of Shanmukha, he adds. In our traditional homes, Vaikasi Visakam is celebrated with a special puja (with Sahasranama Archanai-1008 names) to Lord Murugan and Sarkarai Pongal is offered as Neivedyam. Kanda Sashti Kavacham, Subrahmanya Bhujangam and Shanmukha Kavacham are some of the religious verses that are read with all devotion in some homes. It is the firm belief of devout Tamilians that these Kavachams are real a armour to protect us from the evil spirits (and evil-doers, of course).
R.Bharathi
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