Durga
Goddess Durga is a principal form of Shakti described as a warrior goddess and a protective mother. Her name means “invincible and unassailable”. According to the legend, she was created by male gods with their power to slay the buffalo demon Mahisasura to restore peace. Durga is depicted riding on a lion and killing the buffalo demon by cutting off its head. She represents the collective energy (shakti) of several gods and hence shown with multiple arms holding the specific weapons of different gods. Durga is a predominant and the most beloved goddess in Hinduism and also considered as the supreme mother.
Iconography and forms
Durga is one of the most popular deities, and her iconography is flexible in different Hindu traditions. There are three main forms and several manifestations and depictions of the goddess. Following are the iconographies of the goddesses divided into different categories:
1. Simhavahini
The most mainstream depiction of Durga is Simhavahini, which means the one who rides the lion. She is shown seated on a lion (sometimes on a tiger) with two to twenty arms, carrying various attributes.
1.1 Ambika
Ambika is a popular form of Durga or Shakti, depicted as the nurturing mother. In Skanda Puran, she is emerged from the body of Parvati to slay the demons Shumbh and Nishumbh. She is shown with eight arms, holding multiple weapons and riding a tiger. She is popularly venerated as a household form of Durga throughout India.
2. Mahishamardini
The second and the most common depiction is Mahishamardini, where she is shown killing the demon, Mahishasura. She is usually shown with two to eighteen arms, with ten or eight-armed iconography being the most common. She holds various attributes such as a chakra, a conch shell, a bow, an arrow, a lotus, a sword, a spear, a trident, a shield, and a noose. Four armed figures of Mahishamardini became common from the late Kushana period onwards, where she is shown holding the snout, hind legs, or tail of the buffalo demon with one hand while the other three hands hold a trident, sword, and conch shell.
2.1 Mahishamardini Across Kalpas
In several Kalpas, Mahishamardini takes various forms to defeat Mahishasura, including Ugrachanda, Bhadrakali, Mahalakshmi, and Katyayani, as mentioned in books such as the Kalika Purana, and Mahakala Samhita. In Rambhakalpa, she portrays the 18-handed Ugrachanda, holding a śvetakhaḍga. In Nilalohitakalpa, she appears as the 16-handed Bhadrakali, wielding a śvetabāṇa. In Savarni Manvantar of Svetvarahakalpa, an 18-armed Mahalakshmi kills Mahishasura, while an eight-armed Mahishamardini comes in Swayambhu Mānavantar of Svetvarahakalpa. Finally, in the Vaivast Mānavatar of Shvetavarahakalpa, Mahishasura is slayed by calm 10-handed form as Katyayani.
1. Ugrachanda: Shown with eighteen arms, is accompanied by one crore Yoginis. Her hair is matted, and she has a serpent, a golden garland, and a mundamala around her neck. With large teeth, she wields a trident, sword, conch, discus, arrow, spear, thunderbolt, rod, shield, bow, noose, goad, bell, axe, and club. In her lower hands, she clutches a mace and a drinking bowl. Her complexion resembles crushed collyrium.
2. Bhadrakali: With a flax flower-like complexion, she wears molten gold ear earrings and three crescent-adorned crowns atop matted hair. Her outfit contained serpent and gold garlands. She carried a trident, sword, conch, discus, arrow, spear, thunderbolt, and rod on her right side, as well as shields, bow, noose, goad, bell, axe, and club on her left.
3. Mahalakshmi: In Devi Mahatmya, Mahalakshmi took the avatar of Durga to slay Mahishasura. She is described as having eighteen arms, holding a battle-axe, maze, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, bow, water-pot, cudgel, lance, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine-cup, trident, noose and discus. She is often portrayed slaying Mahisaura.
4. Katyayani: Katyayani is one of the nine avatars of Durga. She is represented independently as a Mahisasuramardini with a golden complexion, an elegant countenance, and ten hands, whereas in the group with the other Nava Durga goddesses, she is shown with four arms and seated on a lion.
These three forms are venerated in the Sri Krama Tantra and Kalikula traditions. While these represent the prominent forms detailed in these revered texts, it's essential to acknowledge the vast array of Mahishamardini's incarnations recorded across various Kalpas.
3. Vishnu Durga
Also called Narayani, she is shown in a dark complexion with four to eight arms, standing on a lotus pedestal or on the severed head of a buffalo. Such iconography is more common in South India and exhibits her Vaishnava connection. She is shown with four arms, carrying the conch shell and chakra in her upper arms. Her other right hand is in the Abhaya mudra and the corresponding left-hand rests on her left thigh in the Katyavalambhita mudra. The Suprabhedagama and the Purvakaranagma, describe her with eight arms holding chakra, conch shell, trident, bow, khadga, pasha, khetaka, and arrow.
4. Ganesh Janani Durga
Ganesh Janani Durga is one of the five goddesses called Pancha Prakriti Devis mentioned in Devi Bhagavatam and Bramhavaivartha Purana. She is the representation of Durga as the mother of Ganesha to show the supremacy of motherhood and femininity as divinity.
5. Gunatrayivi Bhavani
Gunatrayivi Bhavani is a form of Durga with an uncommon description in the Bhrigu Samhita. The goddess has four arms holding the conch shell and chakra in her upper hands while her other hands are held in the Anjali mudra. She is the personification of the three Gunas; sattva, rajas, and tamas.
Durga in Durga Puja/ Navaratri
The Festival of Durga is extremely popular in various parts of India as a ten days festival called Navratri or Durga Puja. In the eastern States, Durga Puja is celebrated with life-size clay idols of the goddess. The iconography of Durga is distinctive as she is depicted as killing Mahisasura yet she has a beautiful motherly face. She is shown with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, and Karttikeya as their children, depicting her as the primeval mother goddess. In some places, Durga idols are shown in stylized forms or with Navadurgas or a group of various other deities.
Durga with various other goddesses, Patna
Photo by Manidvipa
Forms of Durga in Gosani Jatra
Gosani Jatra is the indigenous and distinctive form of Durga Puja celebrated in Puri, Odisha. Goddess is addressed as Gosani, which means aristocratic lady. Gosanis idols represent various local forms of Mahisamardini worshipped during Durga Puja. Some popular Gosani goddesses are mentioned below:
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Barabati: She has eight arms and carries a snake, conch, dagger, bow, arrow, sword, and trident. Mahisasura is represented as a buffalo.
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Kakudikhai: Her name means "cucumber eater." She is ten-armed, holding a shield, conch, bow, snake, and Mahisasura's hair in her left hand and a trident, sword, wheel, arrow, and goad in her right. Her left foot is shown on Mahisasura's shoulder, while her right foot is shown on a lion. She is also known as Vimala.
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Janhikhai: Her name means "she who eats ridge gourd." She has ten hands and is holding a shield, conch, bow, snake, trident, sword, goad, wheel, and arrow. Mahisasura is shown in human form.
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Kantakadhi: She appears standing on one foot while Lord Vishnu pulls a thorn from her bent foot. Shiva is portrayed standing on the other side.
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Sunya: The goddess is shown in the sky slaying Mahisasura. She has eight arms and carries a snake, a conch, a dagger, a bow, an arrow, a sword, and a trident.
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Bhogajaga: She is depicted as eight-armed, wielding a snake, a conch, a dagger, a bow, an arrow, a sword, and a trident. Mahisasura is represented as a buffalo.
Hadabai, Gelhabai, Belabai, Harapriya, Chakrakota, Chameda or Tripura Sundari, Harachandi, Mahateswari, Moda Mahisha, Janhimundia, Sitala, Pana Priya, and other forms of the goddess worshipped during the festival along with Naga, Ravana, Rakshas, and Ghouls.
Durga in Mumbai Navaratri Pandal
During Navaratri in Mumbai, the Devi idol is often made using an amalgamation of traditional and contemporary artistic methods. The idols are frequently represented in a variety of forms, each representing a distinct element of the Goddess, such as Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. The Devi is dressed in unique traditional garb and magnificent jewels on each day of Navaratri.
