Happy Skanda Shashti

Another Skanda Shashti festival has come and gone. Dancing with Siva defines the festival as "A six-day festival in October-November celebrating Lord Karttikeya's, or Skanda's, victory over the forces of darkness."

After two years of no visitors, we once again have a contingent of pilgrims from off-island. Because the six days of this festival immediately follow our late Gurudeva's annual Mahasamadhi puja, most pilgrims who come for that puja tend to stay on for this festival. Every day they were attending the 6am Muruga puja performed by Muruganathaswami, offering soulful singing while the curtain was closed, building the vibration towards the final afternoon puja shown in these photos.

One of many beautiful garlands offered by pilgrims

Preparations nearly complete

Pilgrims gathered

Beginning of puja

Abhishekam-- milk

Yogurt

Honey

Panchamritam

Citrus juice

Green coconut water

Vibhuti

Sandalwood powder

Herbs powder

Pungent spices powder

Rose water

Numerous flower and lime garlands, with backdrop of bamboo stalks from our Muruga Hill on San Marga path

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