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Kaumaram (Tamil:கௌமாரம்) is aHindu denomination that primarily venerates theHindu deity of war,Kartikeya, also known as Kumaran,Murugan (inSouth India), Arumugan, and Subrahmanyan. Devotees of Kumaran, called Kaumaras, also revere members of his family:Parvati,Shiva, andGanesha, as well his consorts,Devasena andSundaravalli, the daughters ofVishnu in Tamil tradition.[1] The important theological texts relating to Kumara are a part of theShaiva agama canon. This sub-tradition is found among theTamils,Kannadigas, and theVedda, in South India, Sri Lanka, and among theTamil diaspora worldwide.[2] The love story of Kumara/Murugan and his wifeValli, a girl from a local tribe, is popular inTamil Nadu, where Kumara acquired the status of a patron god of the Tamil people.[3][note 1]
In theRamayana, Kartikeya is regarded to be the first son of Shiva who was incubated by theKṛttikās, the six maidens representing thePleiades,[6] and thePuranas state that six children thus fused into one when embraced by Parvati, becoming a six-headed Kartikeya. Born to negate the boon gained byTarakasura that he could be slain by none other than a son of Shiva, Kartikeya defeats theasura in battle and restores order.[7]
According to theKanda Puranam, the Tamil iteration of theSkanda Purana, Kartikeya was the second son ofShiva andParvati, and the younger brother toGanesha. According to this tradition, he emerged from six sparks emanating from the additionalfive manifested heads of Shiva.
In a legend,Shiva pretends to forget the significance of themantraOm and asks a young Kartikeya. The young boy astounds everyone by showing Shiva that it is the source of all creation. This earns him the epithetSvāmīnātha, to indicate that he outdid his father.[8]
Tamil Nadu has six primary temples for Kartikeya that are known by the nameArupadai Veedu, which that translates roughly as "the Six Abodes".
Modes of worship includekavadi that is a form of dance,alagu which is a sharp piece of metal that one pierces on the body, carrying milk and water on the heads to offer to the deity and involves asattvik diet.
Thaipusam is an occasion that is celebrated in Kaumaram. This is much more prevalent in the Murugan Temple in Malaysia. Another chief period of worship is theShashti. This is a period of six days when villages in South India with primary Kartikeya deities come together for a celebration. The people involved take a vow on following a vegetarian diet for the period. The six days portray events from the life of Kartikeya. The chief parts covered are the ceremonies in which he is awarded the spearVel by his mother Shakthi, the killing of the asuraSurapadman, and his wedding toDevasena/Devayanai.[9][10][11][12]
Other than this, Karnataka, that is another prominent place for Kaumaras, would have its own mode of worship. Trekking theKumara Parvatha where he is believed to have attained mukti giving up his life is popular although not essentially in a very traditional manner.[13]
Sri Lanka has many popularMurugan temples like theNallur Kandaswamy temple, theThirukkovil Temple, theMaviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple, theKataragama temple, and theKilinochchi Murugan temple. Thechariot festival celebrated every year in the Nallur Kandaswamy temple inJaffna is popular among theSri Lankan Tamil population.Karthikai Deepam is an important Tamil annual festival dedicated to Murugan worship in Sri Lanka.
According to local legends andTamil folklore,Kartikeya is regarded as a veteran and a guardian of the language[14] that is believed to have been founded by the sageAgastya,[15][16] with the blessings of Kartikeya. He is considered the patron of the Tamils, due to his worship being widespread among those of Tamil descent.[17][18]
The primary works inSanskrit related to Kaumaram areSkanda Puranam detailing the history of Kartikeya andKumārasambhava, a poem by the Sanskrit scholarKalidasa, that literally translates as "The Creation of Kumara" or "the Creation of the Son/Boy".[19]
Adi Shankara wrote a piece on Kartikeya calledSubrahmanya Bhujangam.
In Tamil, abundant literature is to be found both in the classical texts and in the folklore. The Skanda Puranam was translated into Tamil. Chief contributors to the classical Tamil texts includeArunagirinathar who wrote hymns of praise with complicated grammar patterns andalliteration andonomatopoeia.
Tamil folk music have hymns written praising the beauty and bravery of Kartikeya. Another chiefly written topic is the way he fell in love and converted his brideValli. There is a dedicated tune called "Kavadi Sindhu" that is usually used to sing such hymns. This tune became associated with celebrations and dances.[20][21][22]
Media related toKaumaram at Wikimedia Commons