31 Facts About Kartikeya

Kartikeya, known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha, and Murugan, is the Hindu god of war.

Kartikeya is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha and a god whose legends have many versions in Hinduism.

Kartikeya has been an important deity in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times, worshipped as Mahasena and Kumara in North India and is predominantly worshipped in the state of Tamil Nadu and other parts of South India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Malaysia as Murugan.

Kartikeya is described to have aged quickly from childhood, becoming a philosopher-warrior, destroyed the demons Tarakasura, Simhamukha and Surapadma, and taught the pursuit of an ethical life and the theology of Shaiva Siddhanta.

Kartikeya has inspired many poet-saints, such as the aforementioned Arunagirinathar.

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Kartikeya is found in many medieval temples all over India, such as the Ellora Caves and Elephanta Caves.

Kartikeya is found in other parts of India, sometimes as Skanda, but in a secondary role along with Ganesha, Parvati and Shiva.

Kartikeya ended the dispute by growing five more heads in order to have a total of six heads so that he could look at all six mothers and let them each nurse one aspect of him.

Kartikeya has 108 names according to Tamil and Sanskrit folklore.

Kartikeya is known by many names in ancient and medieval texts.

Kartikeya is found on ancient Indo-Scythian coins, where his various names are minted in Greek script.

Kartikeya was revered in major cultural centers of ancient India.

Kartikeya has five hair coils, a handsome face and emanates purple-golden light that surpasses the light of the other devas.

Kartikeya is regarded as one of the twenty-four celestial guardian deities, who are a grouping of originally Hindu and Taoist deities adopted into Chinese Buddhism as dharmapalas.

Kushan Empire era statues of Kartikeya, dated to 1st and 2nd-century CE, have been found at various sites in the Indian subcontinent, particularly at Mathura and Gandhara.

Kartikeya is sometimes depicted with many weapons including: a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow although more usually he is depicted wielding the sakti or spear.

Kartikeya has either one head or six, depending on the region or artist.

Kartikeya is worshipped on the last day of the Month of Kartik .

Kartikeya is the youngest of them visualized as a young man, riding a peacock and wielding a bow and arrows.

Kartikeya is stated to be Kumara, that is, a bachelor as he is unmarried.

Kartikeya is found in many medieval temples all over India, such as the Ellora Caves and Elephanta Caves.

Kartikeya is raised not by his natural mother but a host of mothers, but later he is a part of his biological family.

Kartikeya is handsome warrior and described as a celibate yogi.

Kartikeya uses his creative martial abilities to lead an army against Taraka and other demons, and described as a philosopher-warrior.

Kartikeya is a uniter, championing the attributes of both Shaivism and Vaishnavism.

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Kartikeya's theology is most developed in the Tamil texts, and in the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition.

Kartikeya is described as dheivam, as kadavul, as Devan, and as iraivativam .

Kartikeya is the philosopher and exponent of Shaiva Siddhanta theology, as well as the patron deity of the Tamil language.

Kartikeya was the god of war and knowledge in the Dravidian legends, and became so elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent too.

Ghurye states that according to the archeological and epigraphical evidence, the contemporary Murugan, Subrahmanya and Kartikeya is a composite of two influences, one from south and one from north in the form of Skanda and Mahasena.

Kartikeya is a favourite deity of the common folk everywhere and it is said he never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon.