Murugan (Kartikeya) Puja Vidhi
मुरुगन (कार्तिकेय) पूजा विधि
Lord Murugan — Kartikeya, Skanda or Subramanya — is the son of Shiva and Parvati and the younger brother of Ganesha. The commander of the divine army, he rides a peacock and carries the Vel (divine spear) that destroys evil. Especially beloved in South India, he is the god of valour, wisdom and victory. This is the step-by-step Murugan puja vidhi for the home.
Puja Samagri (Materials Required)
Step-by-Step Puja Vidhi
Snan & Shuddhi
Bathe and wear clean clothes. Clean the altar and sprinkle water for purification. Face East.
Sthapana & Lamp
Place the Murugan idol or the Vel on a clean cloth. Light the lamp and incense, and apply vibhuti to yourself.
Dhyana
Meditate on the six-faced Lord (Shanmukha) on his peacock, holding the Vel. Chant "Om Saravana Bhava" — his core seed mantra — three times.
Abhishekam
If using a metal idol or Vel, bathe it with milk and Panchamrit (and honey/rosewater), then clean water, while chanting "Vetrivel Muruga".
Shringar & Offerings
Apply vibhuti and sandal, offer saffron flowers and a garland, then fruit, jaggery and the coconut as naivedya.
Mantra Japa
Chant "Om Saravana Bhavaya Namah" 108 times. Devotees also recite the Skanda Shashti Kavacham; until you learn it, "Vetrivel! Veera Vel!" and "Om Namah Shivaya" honour him and his father.
Aarti
Light camphor and perform the aarti, calling "Haro Hara" / "Vel Vel". Distribute vibhuti and prasad.
Mantras for Lord Murugan (Kartikeya / Subramanya) Puja
Important Tips
The core Murugan mantra is "Om Saravana Bhava" — chant it 108 times; it is said to grant courage, clarity and victory.
Skanda Shashti (in Kartik) is his greatest vrat — a six-day fast ending on Soorasamharam (his victory over the demon Soorapadman).
Worship the Vel (spear) itself — it represents Murugan's sharp, obstacle-piercing wisdom and power.
His six sacred abodes (Arupadai Veedu) — Palani, Tiruchendur, Swamimalai, Tirupparankunram, Pazhamudircholai and Tiruttani — are the great pilgrimage centres.