Chaitra Navratri Day 5: Goddess Skandamata
Maa Skandamata, the fifth incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Durga, is worshipped on the fifth day of the Chaitra Navratri festival.
The term "Skanda" refers to Kartikeya, the son of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati, and the brother of Lord Ganesha.
She is revered as the mother of Lord Kartikeya, also known as Skanda, who goes by the names Murugan and Subramanya in various regions of India.
She is depicted
with four arms, holding
Lord Kartikeya in her lap with one hand while holding a lotus in each of her upper hands.
With one of her lower hands displaying the Abhaya Mudra, mounted on a lion, she is revered as Goddess Padmasana.