Muruga, the second son of Shiva and Parvati, has several names: Subrahmanya, Shanmukha, Karttikeya, Skanda, Devasenapati, Śikhivahana Saravanabhava, etc.

In North India, Lord Muruga is often referred to as Kartikeya or Skanda. He is revered for his valor, wisdom, and as the commander of the army of the gods, symbolizing courage and strength. However, Kartikeya’s popularity in North India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and his worship is today virtually unknown except in parts of Haryana.

In South India, Muruga has continued to be popular with all classes of society right since the Sangam age. This has led to more elaborate accounts of his mythology in the Tamil language, culminating in the Tamil version of Skanda Purana.