The 10 day long Navratri festival is one of India’s most popular festivals. Goddess Durga’s nine forms are worshipped during this period, and on the fifth day, devotees will pray to Maa Skandamata.
Maa Skandamata is the mother of Lord Kartikeya, who is also referred to as Skanda, which is where her name comes from. She is the mother form of Goddess Durga and is kind and caring. When devotees pray to her, the blessings they receive are two-fold, since they also worship Lord Kartikeya, who sits in her lap.
Significance and history
Goddess Skandamata has four arms and just like Goddess Durga, she too rides a lion. In one hand she has a lotus, in the other a bell, in the third there is a blessing gesture and in the fourth hand she holds Lord Skanda, who sits on her lap. She sits on a lotus, due to which she is referred to as Goddess Padmasana.
Goddess Skandamata blesses her devotees with power, treasures, prosperity, wisdom and salvation. When worshipping her, you need to have a pure heart and be completely devoted to her.
It is believed that God Skanda’s birth has been mentioned in the Skanda Puran. Goddess Parvati and Lord Indra’s energies came together in a divine form while they were meditating. When Lord Indra came to know about this, he told Lord Agni to steal the divine energy, as it had been said that the child which was born from these energies would slay the demon Tarakasur.
When Goddess Parvati came to know about this, she cursed Lord Agni to be always burn, not knowing the difference between right and wrong. Also, anyone who he came into contact with would be burnt.