Vaikāsi Viśākam is the day of Viśākhā nakṣatra in the Tamil solar month Vaikāsi, widely kept in Tamil tradition as Murugan's birth day (Jayantī). It follows the Skanda Purāṇa account in which six sparks from Śiva's third eye, nursed by the Kṛttikās, were merged by Pārvatī into six-faced Ṣaṇmukha. Murugan temples mark the day like a family birthday, with special utsavams at the Arupaṭai Vīṭu. Śrīvaiṣṇava homes also honour it as the avatāra day of Nammāḻvār at Āḻvārtirunagari. How the day is fixed: The observance is the day on which Viśākhā nakṣatra prevails at local sunrise during the solar month Vaikāsi, when the Sun is in Vṛṣabha. Keep in mind: Because the month is solar, the day usually comes in May or June, often near Vaiśākha or Jyeṣṭha Pūrṇimā. Other regions sometimes assign Murugan's birth to a different month and nakṣatra, but Tamil practice keeps it on Vaikāsi Viśākhā. This year: The 2026 date shown here is worked out from sunrise at the place you chose, so in another city the same day can fall a day earlier or later. Temple festivals: Temples hold abhiṣeka, processions and, in some towns, car festivals, and devotees carry pots of milk to Murugan shrines. Tiruchendur and Palani keep grand Vaikāsi Viśākam festivals. At home: Households fast or keep to sattvic food, decorate the Vel or the Murugan image, and offer sweet pongal. Stotras: Subrahmaṇya Aṣṭottara, Subrahmaṇya Bhujangam, Kanda Guru Kavacham and Kandar Anubhūti all suit the day. Worth remembering: Vaikāsi Viśākam marks Murugan's birth. Skanda Ṣaṣṭī in Aippasi is the six-day vrata of his victory over Śūrapadma, and Tai Pūsam is the day of the kāvaḍi vow, so the three are separate observances. How the day is kept depends on family and region. Some Tamil homes celebrate it like the birthday of a child of the house, Śrīvaiṣṇava families remember Nammāḻvār, and outside Tamil Nadu many regions honour Kārttikeya on other days of their own. Follow the custom that the elders of your own house have kept.
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