According to Hindu mythology, the six stars visible to the naked eye are considered to be six celestial virgins who had a simultaneous and immaculate conception through the grace of Shiva. These virgins consolidated their gain and brought forth a divine child.

The child was named Karthikeya as he was born of the six Karthika virgins. Karthika as above mentioned is to be taken as the symbol of the creative power of Shiva and Karthikeya stands in the father and son relationship with Shiva which relationship Ganesha cannot claim for the reason that he was created by Parvathy by power of her Will.

Karthikeya rides a peacock and is more airborne like Vishnu on his Garuda (the kite with white breast) and Brahma on his Hamsa (the white swan). His association is more with Devas and he is not within easy reach of one and all whether mortal or immortal. Ganesha on the other hand rides a mouse and is more earth bound and within easy reach of one and all. This accounts for his popularity.

Although Karthikeya is vedic Deity and was popular among the people of Aryavartha, his popularity waned there and he had to migrate to the South and occupy the shrines built for him on hill tops. The most famous among these shrines in South India is the one situated on the top of Palani Hill. Karthikeya is called as Subramanya in the Palani Shrine. We have noted that Subramanya conveys the same meaning as Huq Nur of the Sufis. It is significant that in this shrine there is also a nirvikalpa samathi (tomb) of Saint Bogar who equated Allah with Shiva as could be gleaned from a collection of his mystic verses in Tamil known by the name of "Bogar Seven Thousand". Evidently Bogar like Vavar of Sabarimalai was a sufi saint. It is said that he himself constructed the shrine for the sake of his Hindu and Muslim disciples. Even at the present time both communities offer worship there, the Hindus facing the idol and Muslims avoiding the idol. Many miracles are said to be taking place at the shrine.