When is shasti in 2017

Notes: All timings are represented in hour notation in local time of Jaipur, India with DST adjustment if applicable. Hours which are past midnight are suffixed with next day date. In Panchang day starts and ends with sunrise. Skanda is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus.

In south India, Skanda is considered as the younger brother of Lord Ganesha while in north India Skanda is considered as the elder brother of Lord Ganesha. God Skanda is also known as Murugan , Kartikeyan and Subramanya. Sashti Tithi is dedicated to Lord Skanda. Devotees keep fast during Shukla Paksha Sashti day. When Panchami Tithi ends or Sashti Tithi starts between sunrise and sunset then both Panchami and Sashti are conjugated and this day is chosen for Skanda Sashti Vratam.

This rule has been mentioned in Dharmasindhu and Nirnayasindhu. Devotees observe six days fast which lasts on Soorasamharam day. The divine incarnation of Karthikeya is called the Commander-in-Chief of the army of devas. According to Skanda Puranam, the demons under the leadership of Surapadma, Simhamukha and Tarakasura defeated the Devas and took control over the earth.

Skanda Puranam, the longest of the 18 Mahapuranas, gives narration of how son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati took birth as Skanda and wiped off the devils causing anarchy on the planet.

The devotees fast based on what they can observe. Spiritual lectures will take place on all days, right from morning until evening in temples.

Special abhishekam, archanai, puja and deeparadhanai will be held daily. In some temples Laksarchanai will be done to Muruga. According Kanda Puranam, once three asuras Soorapadman, Singamugasuran and Tharakasuran were causing great troubles to the celestial Devas. To destroy them Lord Shanmuga took avatar form from the third eye of Lord Shiva. Lord Muruga accepted the vel ayutham spear weapon from Goddess Parvati and proceeded along with Virapagu Devar and other devas to Tiruchendur to fight Soorapadman and his demon army.

Soorapadman after fighting tried to escape by hiding himself as a mango tree in the seabed. Lord Muruga split the mango tree and converted one half as peacock vahana and other half as 'ceval' or rooster banner.