Surasamharam

Surasamharam

Legendhas it that at this holy place Lord Subramanya annihilated Surapadman,who along with his brothers Singamukha and Taraka, was reigning Triloka(the Heaven, the Earth and the Pathala). At the pinnacle of his fame, thedemon subjected the Devas to untold miseries. The distressed Devas ills. These were carried to the Himalayan lake Saravanathrough the Holy Ganges by Agni, the God of Fire. There they took the formsof six divine babies on lotus flowers. They were nourished by the Krithikanymphs. The six babies, on being embraced by Parvathi, Siva's consort,took one divine from with six heads and twelve hands and came to be knownas Shanmukha and Arumukha, the six-faced. In this form, the Lord reachedTiruchendur from Kailas on his mission of subduing the Asuras. Here, hedesired a shrine of Siva for his worship. Mayan, the celestial, was orderedto build the temple on the shores. The Lord plunged into the divine missionand fought the demon and his hordes for six days, on land, under the seaand in the air. The war saw the end of all except Surapadman, who rosein the form of a mango tree in the middle of the ocean. The Lord took Indraas his charger, challenged the demon in his island fortress and piercedthe Asura King into two. The body thus left out took the forms of a cockand a Peacock, but still would not give in. They too were fought to thefinish, and the demon, who was penitent before death, was forgiven by Muruga.In his infinite mercy the Lord gave Viswaroopa darshan and adopted thepeacock as his permanent charger, relieving Indra, and the cock as hisbanner. The Asura thus came to stay in the above two forms ever in thepresence of the Lord. To commemorate this victory, a festival called SkandaSashti is celebrated at Tiruchendur as well as in other shrines of LordMuruga for six days with all pomp and piety. On the concluding day, theepic battle Surasdmhara ( the annihilation of Surapadman ) is re-enactedin all its true form, witnessed by devotees in thier thousands. After thesuccessful mission, the Lord, it is said, turned again at Tiruchendur,halted and worshipped Siva at the temple built by Mayan.nvokedLord Siva for deliverance. Lord Siva extended his merciful eye of protectionand sent six fire ba