The Skanda Purana is told in khandas, each given over to a region and its sacred places, and takes its name from Skanda, known also as Kartikeya and as Murugan. Its Kedarkhand carries the Himalayan shrines and the Panch Kedar tradition, while the Kashi Khanda is given to Varanasi. Much of what is preserved as sthala mahatmya — the account of how a particular site became sacred — is held here.
✦ Did you know
The Kedarkhand of the Skanda Purana tells how Shiva took the form of a bull to avoid the Pandavas, and places his hump, arms, face, navel and hair at the five shrines of the Panch Kedar.
Source: Kedarkhand, Skanda Purana; Panch Kedar tradition