Skanda Shashti is celebrated in South India with great religious fervour and devotion in the Tamil month of Tulam (October-November). Skanda, the second son of Shiva, is also known as Kartikeya and Subramanya. He was produced without the intervention of a female. Shiva cast his seed into fire, and it was afferwards received by the Ganges. He was fostered by Krittika (Pleiades) and hence he has six heads and the name Kartikeya. He was born for the purpose of destroying Taraka, a demon whose austerities had made him formidable to gods.

Swami Kartikeya is represented riding a peacock, holding a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. His wife is Dev Sena or Kumari. He has many titles; as a warrior he is Mahasena; Senapati; Siddha-sena, "leader of the Siddhas", and Yuddha-ranga; also Kumara, the boy; Guha, "the mysterious one"; Shakti-dhara "spear-holder"; and in the south he is called Subramanya He is also called Tarakajit, Dwadashahara (twelve handed) and Dwadaksha (twelve-eyed)

In south India there are six places which are associated with his life and work and regarded most holy. At all these places Skanda Shashti is celebrated with great fervour and thousands of devotees congregate at each temple to seek the Lord's blessings. It is the day when Taraka was defeated. Bhajans are sung, kirtans chanted, people fed and scenes from his life dramatized on the occasion. The festivity begins six days preceding the Shashti. Lord Subramanya is worshipped during these days and devotees make pilgrimages to different Subramanya shrines. The pieties and devotion observed on this day ensure success, prosperity, peace and happiness. In the Gita, Bhagvan Sri Krishna has said: "Among the generals of armies, I am Kartikeya" .