Today is the Kanda Sashti festival. According to the Kanda Purana, it is the day when Lord Murugan defeated the demon Soorapadman. This event is believed to have taken place at Tiruchendur, which is why the festival is celebrated with great reverence at the Tiruchendur temple.
Background
To understand the background of this festival, we need to know what the Kanda Purana says about it. During the yagna performed by Daksha to insult Lord Shiva, the devas who participated in it were cursed for doing so. Due to this curse, they had to endure a lot of hardship from the demon Soorapadman.
Soorapadman was the eldest of three sons born to Sage Kashyapa and the asura woman Maya. Singhamukha (the lion-faced demon) and Tarakasura (the elephant-faced demon) were his brothers. The three brothers performed intense penance to gain innumerable boons from Lord Shiva.
Soorapadman built a palace on Mount Mahendramalai, near Tiruchendur, and began tormenting the devas, defeating them in battle and causing them immense suffering. The devas, in distress, prayed to Lord Shiva for help. In response to their prayer, Lord Shiva manifested Lord Murugan through the power of his third eye.
When the time came to battle Suran, Murugan set out to defeat him. His mother, Goddess Uma (Parvati), gave him the divine weapon called the vel (spear). The day Lord Murugan received the vel from his mother is still celebrated as an important part of the festival. During this event, one can see Murugan’s face glistening with sweat as he receives the vel from Goddess Parvati, who is also called Velnedunganni (the one who holds the vel).
After receiving the vel, Lord Murugan came to Tiruchendur, leading the army of the devas. There, he meditated for six days. Before the battle, he meditated upon his father, Shiva, asking for the strength to defeat Suran. Soon after, a fierce battle broke out between Suran and the Devas forces. Lord Murugan killed Suran’s Tarakasura and Singhamukha brothers with his vel.
Then came the final battle between Lord Murugan and Soorapadman. Using all his illusory powers, Soorapadman fought with Murugan. But Subramanya overcame all of them. In the final stages, Soorapadman transformed into a giant Mango tree in the ocean. Murugan used his vel to strike the tree, splitting it into two. One half turned into a peacock and the other into a rooster. These two creatures came to fight him. However, Murugan did not kill them but blessed them, taking the peacock as his vehicle and the rooster as his emblem on the flag.
Thus, instead of destroying Soorapadman, Murugan gave him his blessing, transforming him into these forms. This is the story behind the Kanda Sashti festival, commemorating the demon Surapadma’s defeat and Lord Murugan’s victory.
The Tiruchendur Temple & Kanda Shashti Festival
The history of Murugan’s defeat of Suran is mentioned not only in the Kanda Purana but also in Tamil literary works such as Purananuru, Silappadhikaram, and Tirumurugattrupadai. Both Silappadhikaram and Tirumurugattrupadai refer to Tiruchendur as one of Murugan’s six sacred abodes. From this, it is understood that Tiruchendur was considered a place of worship for Lord Murugan since the Sangam period.
During the medieval period, the Pandya kings built the temple as a rock-cut temple. The inscription of the Pandya kings found there lists the offerings (Naivedhyam) given to Subramanya during the festivals and mentions the God with the name ‘Subramanya Bhatarar’. As He is here to fight the war, Murugan is seen without his consorts of Valli and Deivayanai. The Vigraha of Lord Subramanya is seen holding a rosary, symbolizing his penance. Alongside him, two of his warrior generals, Veerabahu and Veerakesari, are also seen in the temple. Below the sanctum of Lord Murugan is a Panchalinga vigraha that Murugan consecrated to perform pooja before he fought Suran.
The Kanda Sashti festival begins on the ‘Prathamai’ thithi Tamil month of Aipasi which follows the new moon day, with the Kaappu Kattal (protective ritual). Observing a fast and tying a protective thread (Kaappu) before performing penance is a tradition. According to the tradition, it is believed that Lord Murugan fasted for six days during Kanda Sashti. The Tiruchendur temple has four Utsava Murthis: Shanmuga, Jayanthinathar, Kumara Vidangar, and Alivayukandaperumal. The Kaappu Kattal ceremony is performed for Jayanthinathar on Kanda Sashti day. A yagashala (sacrificial hall) is set up for six days, and homams (ritual fires) are performed. Each day, Jayanthinathar comes to Yagyasala at the temple, and special poojas are held.
On the sixth day, known as Sashti, the festival of Surasamharam (the destruction of Suran) is celebrated. In the evening, Jayanthinathar arrives at the Tiruchendur seashore, where the samharam of Tarakasura, with his elephant face, and Singamukhasura, with his lion face, takes place one after the other. After that, the battle with Surapadman is enacted, where Suran transforms into a peacock and a rooster, and the scenes of his transformation are displayed. Murugan then accepts the peacock as his vehicle and the rooster as his banner. Once the Surasamharam ritual is complete, a special Abhishekam (ritual bathing) is performed for Jayanthinathar to cool his intense energy. The next day, the Thirukalyanam (divine marriage) of Kumara Vidangar and Deivayanai takes place. This marks the conclusion of the Kanda Sashti festival.
Since Lord Murugan is believed to fast for six days during the Kanda Sashti festival, it is customary for his devotees also to observe a fast during this period. Devotees stay at the temple and observe the fast by offering prayers and having the darshan of Lord Murugan in the morning and evening. Various types of fasts were observed during this period. Some devotees refrain from eating any food, while others follow a Milagu Viratham(fast where only pepper is consumed). Some devotees only eat bananas while fasting. After the Surasamharam is completed, devotees break their fast by drinking milk. The famous Naazhik Kinaru (the well created by Murugan to cool the Vel after defeating Suran) is located at the Tiruchendur seashore. It is considered auspicious to bathe in this well on the day following the Surasamharam.
While the Surasamharam festival in Aipasi is celebrated primarily at Tiruchendur, it is essential to note that it is observed at all Murugan temples across Tamil Nadu.
TS Krishnan is a Tamil scholar and author.
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