Skanda Shasti 2023: The Seven Day Celebrations Of Skanda Shasti At Palani

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Kanda Sashti is a once-a-year celebration at Palani, in the seventh tamil month Aippisi. It goes on for a stretch of 6 days in which the leelas of Murugan was extolled each day. The festival is celebrated in commemoration of Lord Murugans victory over the demons and annihilation of these asuras. Once in a year, Lord descends down the hill temple, vanquishes the asuras and then returns to the hill.

On this day only (once in a year) the Lord comes down the Hill, and after vanquishing the demons, ascends the Hill again. Kandhar Shasti festival is closely associated with these mythological legends. Gajamugan, Tharagan, Singamugan and Surapadman are the demons who are killed by the lord in an encounter.

This incident enthrals people who watch this in the form of a drama that intensifies the devotion in the devour folk. They also fast and worship on this day as they believe their sins will be cleansed by Murugan..

Karpoorarthi, pushparchana, and phalasamarpana and naivedya are offered to Lord Murugan on this day of kanda or skanda Shashti.

Abhisheka with milk and other sacred ingredients is done. Some of them go on fasting throughout the day and some even completely do the nirjal upavas.

Murugan relieves us from negative forces and thoughts. He rules the number 6 which represents rina, roga and court matters and he relieves his devotees from all the problems surrounding these aspects.

He clears the financial barriers, long standing diseases, the debt of all kinds, etc. Of all six important places of pilgrimage for Murugan, the Palani Murugan temple at Palani is very well known.

Thousands of devotees gather at palani to participate in the Soorasamharam festival. Shasti tithi is utmost preferred by Lord Murugan.

Throughout the kanda Shashti duration, many devotees fast on each Shashti that arrives during the kanda shasti period.

The Shashti tithi coinciding on the waxing moon in October November period is an important day as this was when Murugan killed an asura called Sura Padman.

The six day festival of Kanda Shashti celebrates this event as victory of good over evil. A drama on sura samharam is also enacted on this day.

On each day of the six day period of celebration, the six scriptures are recited in Murgan's praise. They are Tirumurukarruppadai, Kandar Kalivenba, Kandar Anubhuti, Kandar Alankārām, Kanda Sashti Kavacam, and Kanda Puranam respectively.

Part of the festival is where Huge images of four asuras are brought on chariots and these are annihilated by the lord.

They bring in , for the same purpose, the utsava diety of Chinnakumarar from the hill temple. He kills the asuras while on the procession and returns to His abode in the hill.

This event happens on the sixth day, that is on the Shashti and all other events of the festival are observed inside the hill temple.

Seventh day is a momentous occasion when Lord Murugan marries Valli which is officiated in the hill temple in the periyanayaki temple.