Tamil festival Skanda Shasti Virdham’s meaning and Thiruchendur‘s its significance

Posted Date: 09-Nov-2011	Category: Festivals in Tamilnadu	Rating:
Author: s.sudhakar	Member Level: Gold	Points: 30 (Rs 15)

Want know the story behind Tamil’s very oldest festival Skanda Shasti Virdham. Did you know Thiruchedur temple’s significance. Have you ever wondered why there is no sannidhanam or a place for worship for navagrahas in this temple. In this article I tried to provide as much as possible information’s about the temple and the festival. Hope it will be interesting.

Story behind Tamil festival Skanda shasti virdham.

Tamil festival Skanda shasti virdham or fasting is celebrated for six days. In Sanskrit shasti means six. This festivals in Tamilnadu has been celebrated for thousands of years ago. There is a story behind this virdham or fasting.

Generally Gods use to give varam or promise to those who do intense tapas. Gods do not care about the intention behind the tapas. Once there lived an asura king named Soora padman. He did intense tapas on lord shiva. Lord Shiva was very happy on his tapas and appeared before him. Soora padman bowed and asked a varam or promise that his death should not be caused by anybody other than lord Shiva himself. Lord Shiva granted the varam or promise. This means that only lord Shiva can kill him and Soora padman knows that lord Shiva will not kill his devotee.

Then asura king soora padman ruled the world for thousands of years like an autocrat. He tourtured saints, navagrahas, lord indira and all deities. he had made the Navagrahas as his steps in his simmasana or king's throne seat and walked on them. All deities, Rishis went to lord shiva for protection and begged to do the needful. Then lord Shiva decided to protect the saints and devas. As soora padman was his great devotee he could not kill him. So, lord Shiva created one deity to destroy Soora padman.

Tamil deity lord Skanda or Muruga's birth

Lord Shiva destroys evil power by opening his third eye. Also Lord Shiva has six faces form each face's third eye he produced one fire spark and handed those six sparks it to lord Agni or fire. Lord of fire himself cannot bare the heat of those sparks so he handed it to lord Vayu or air. Lord of air too cannot bare the heat and handed it to Ganga devi or river ganges. Ganga devi made those six sparks in to six child.

Then goddess parvathi embraced those children, merged them and created one child with six faces and named the child as Skandan. This is how lord Skanda or Lord Muruga had born. In addition worshiping lord Skanda is equal to worshiping lord Shiva.

Tamil deity lord Skanda's war with Soora padman.

Then lord Skanda was sent to destroy Soora padman. He came to Thiruchendur and halted there. Lord Guru or Jupiter came and explained him about Soora padmans powers and varam or promises he had got from lord Shiva. First lord Skanda sent thutu or ambassador for peace but Soora padman refused for peace.

So lord Skanda decided to start war and the war had been continued for six days. And on sixth day he destroyed Soora padman. These war days is what now celebrated as Skanda shasti virdham. The sixth day, destruction of Soora padman was celebrated as Soora samharam or destruction festival.

The war had fought in three ways, through land, sky and sea. In Thiruchendur sea way war had fought and the destruction of soora padman was done here. In this war many deities help lord skanda. Without Lord shiva's help Soora padman cannot be destroyed. So, lord Skand or muruga had done worships to lord Shiva in the war place itself while fighting against asura king. Goddesses Parvathi gave him a Trisoolam or an elongatd arrow with three ends which possessed entire strength of Goddesses Parvathi. Lord Vishu helped him in the war by giving his chakra ayudham or wheel weapon. Many more deity's helped him. Finally lord skanda destroyed asura king soora padman on the sixth day of war which is know celebrated as soora samharam.

Tamil diety lord Muruga's Thiruchendur temples significance.

Only here in Tiruchendur the Navagrahas had worshiped lord Skanda for releasing them from the prison. So there is no sanidhanam for Navagrahas in Tiruchendur.

Tiruchendur is the only place where we can see all six divisions of Hinduism in one place. Sooram - worshiping surya or sun. Ganathipathiyam - worshiping lord ganesha. Gouram - worshiping lord muruga. Sougharam - worshiping lord vishu. Saivam -worshiping lord shiva. Vainavam - worshiping lord vishu. So this place is collection of all spiritual power and one of the arupadai vedu of lord Muruga.

In one's life time we should visit Thiruchendur Murugar temple and get blessing of lord Muruga.

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