Kartikeya (कार्तिकेय)

Kartikeya (कार्तिकेय) is a warrior deity, son of Shiva and Parvati, especially prominent in South Indian traditions. Devotional and narrative traditions especially associate this figure with courage, youth, martial power, spiritual discipline and victory. Common iconography may include vel spear, peacock and rooster emblem. Important related names include Skanda, Murugan, Subrahmanya, Kumara. The exact stories, ritual customs and visual details can differ by text, region and lineage, so descriptions should distinguish widely shared tradition from local interpretation. For a Madhuma reference page, the strongest people-first angle is to explain who Kartikeya is, the major stories and symbols, how worship differs across India, important festivals or pilgrimage contexts, and respectful modern practice without presenting devotional belief as historical fact.