The fifth day of Navratri is for Skandamata, the Goddess as a mother. The name means “the mother of Skanda”. Skanda is the young war god, called Kartikeya in the north and Murugan or Subramanya in the south, and Skandamata is shown with him on her lap. After four days of origin, discipline, readiness and creation, the fifth day is for the warm, protecting figure at the centre of a family.
The page belongs to the Navadurga guide. The order is the one widely followed in north and west India, and some regions differ.
The day of Navratri
Skandamata is worshipped on Panchami, the fifth tithi of the bright half. In 2026 Panchami is in force at sunrise on Thursday 15 October 2026 in New Delhi and Pune, running until 3:25 am the next morning. In Chaitra Navratri 2027 the fifth day is Sunday 11 April 2027. The Sharad Navratri page and the Chaitra Navratri page show dates for other cities, and the Navratri day by day page lists the whole sequence. Before her is Kushmanda, and after her comes Katyayani.
Form and iconography
Skandamata has four arms. With two of them she holds lotus flowers, one hand is raised in blessing, and with another she supports the child Skanda on her lap. She sits on a lotus, and so she is also called Padmasana Devi, the one who sits on the lotus. Her vehicle is a lion. Her complexion is fair and luminous. The child on her lap is often shown with six faces, as the god is known in the south as Shanmukha, but in many popular images he appears with one face as an infant.
The image is one of the few in which the Goddess is shown holding a child, and for that reason many families who pray for children or for the well-being of children turn to her. The prayer is a prayer, and anyone who is concerned about fertility or a pregnancy should see a doctor.
The story as tradition tells it
The story of Skanda’s birth is told in several Puranas and in Kalidasa’s poem Kumarasambhava, and the details differ between them. The outline is this. A demon called Tarakasura had won a boon that only a son of Shiva could kill him. Shiva, however, was deep in meditation and had no wish to marry. The gods sent the god of love, who disturbed Shiva’s meditation and was burnt by his glance, but the gods continued, and after Parvati’s penance (see Brahmacharini) Shiva married her.
From their union a radiant child was born. Some accounts say the energy of Shiva was carried by the fire god and the river Ganga, and that the child was raised by the six Krittikas, the stars of the Pleiades, who give him the name Kartikeya. When he grew he was made the commander of the army of the gods and defeated Tarakasura. Parvati is the mother in all versions, and the fifth form of Durga honours her in that role.
The tradition values this form for something simple: the Goddess who is fierce when needed is also fully a mother. The devotional line often said of Skandamata is that whoever prays to her gets the grace of the son as well, since the mother never leaves her child.
The throat centre
In the yoga-influenced reading that is popular today, Skandamata is linked to the throat centre, vishuddha, associated with clear speech and purity. As with the other links of this kind it is a later layer of devotion, not something from the older texts, and we offer it only as a way to reflect on the day.
The dhyana shloka
Short meditation verses for Skandamata are printed in modern devotional booklets. We have not been able to match them to an old printed source that we can check, so we do not quote any. If your family recites one, keep to its words. It will describe the picture above: the lotus seat, the lion, the child on her lap and the hand of blessing.
Offerings and customs
Bananas are the commonly given offering to Skandamata, and the tradition links them to good health. Many families offer a whole bunch or a ripe banana and then distribute the fruit. In some households the offering is given to girls or to the elderly.
In many south Indian families the fifth day also has a connection with Murugan, and temples of Kartikeya are visited on this day. This is a regional custom, and not every family keeps it. In Maharashtra the popular colour of the day follows the weekday; see the day by day page, where it is labelled as a regional custom.
On the fifth day of Navratri people often visit a temple, sing the Durga Chalisa or the Jai Ambe Gauri aarti, and take time with the family. The daily puja guide describes a short order for the nine days.
The mother in the nine days
Skandamata is the middle of the nine, and a gentle way to read her place is that the festival turns here from beginning to action. The first four days built a person: a root, a discipline, a calm readiness and a warm creative energy. On the fifth day that person is a mother with a child, and the next day, Katyayani, shows what she will do to protect the child. In that reading the fifth day is a day for the family: to phone a parent, to sit with a child, or simply to thank the person who raised you. It is a small custom that many people keep without any ritual at all.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Which day of Navratri is Skandamata worshipped?
Skandamata is worshipped on the fifth day, Panchami. In 2026 that is Thursday 15 October 2026 in New Delhi and Pune.
↳ Who is Skanda?
Skanda is the war god, the son of Shiva and Parvati, also called Kartikeya, Kumara, Murugan and Subramanya. He is the commander of the army of the gods in the Puranas.
↳ Why is Skandamata called Padmasana Devi?
She is shown seated on a lotus, and padmasana means the lotus seat. It is a name taken from her usual image.
↳ What is offered to Skandamata?
Bananas are the commonly given offering, and they are shared afterwards. This is a custom, not a rule.
↳ Is Skandamata worshipped in south India?
The same festival is kept in the south, and Murugan temples are often visited on this day, but the nine-day order of the Navadurga is mainly a north and west Indian one. Many southern homes keep Golu instead.