Annamalai extends Kanda Sashti greetings; prays for peace, prosperity

Chennai, Nov 15

'We the Leaders' founder Annamalai on Sunday extended greetings to devotees observing the Kanda Sashti fast, expressing hope that Lord Murugan’s blessings would dispel evil and bring goodness, love, peace and prosperity into everyone’s lives.

His message coincided with Soorasamharam, the principal event of the six-day Kanda Sashti festival, which began on November 10. The celebrations will be followed by the Thirukalyanam, or divine wedding ceremony, on Monday.

In a message posted on the organisation’s official X account, Annamalai conveyed his wishes to worshippers who had undertaken the Sashti fast and offered prayers to Lord Murugan during the festival.

“Heartfelt greetings to all devotees of Lord Murugan who observe the Sashti fast while worshipping the Lord who resides in his six sacred abodes,” he said.

Referring to the concluding observances, Annamalai prayed that the occasion would bring positive changes to the lives of devotees and strengthen the values of love and harmony.

“On the occasion of Soorasamharam today, marking the culmination of the Sashti fast, and the Thirukalyanam festival tomorrow, may Lord Murugan’s blessings destroy all evil and increase all that is good in everyone’s lives,” he said.

He also wished that love, peace and prosperity would flourish, concluding his message with the invocation, “Victory! Victory!” Kanda Sashti is dedicated to Lord Murugan and is associated with the triumph of good over evil.

Devotees mark the occasion through fasting, prayer and other religious observances, with Soorasamharam forming the central event of the celebrations.

The ritual commemorates Lord Murugan’s victory over the demon Surapadman. Its spiritual significance centres on the defeat of evil and the restoration of righteousness, themes reflected in Annamalai’s festival message.

The following day’s Thirukalyanam celebrates the divine wedding of Lord Murugan and Deivanai, continuing the religious observances after the culmination of the Sashti fast.

Annamalai’s reference to Murugan’s six sacred abodes invoked the Arupadai Veedu, which holds a special place in the devotional traditions associated with the deity. His greetings focused on both the religious significance of the occasion and the well-being of devotees, linking the symbolism of victory over evil with a prayer for a more peaceful and prosperous life.

The message came as worshippers marked the final day of the fast, with Sunday’s Soorasamharam and Monday’s Thirukalyanam forming the concluding sequence of the festival’s principal observances.