Origin story
Born to Shiva and Parvati, Skanda was raised by the Krittikas and by the fire, and grew into the youthful commander of the divine army. With his vel, the spear of divine wisdom, he slew the demon Surapadma, a victory celebrated in the Skanda Purana.
Murugan, as he is called in Tamil, is the beloved deity of hill shrines and of the long pilgrimage routes of South India. The vel is discriminating wisdom, the peacock is pride subdued, and the six faces look in all directions at once. Kerala's Subrahmanya temples honour the same god under a different name.
Source: Wikipedia: Kartikeya — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartikeya
