A benevolent Maa or mother to some and the mighty, omnipresent Jagadjanani, the birther of the Universe to others, the Hindu goddesses have as many forms, powers, and names as the number of her devotees across the world.
Celebrated most joyously during the time of the Navaratri festivals, both Shardiya Navratri and Chaitra Navaratri, the goddess Durga is a popular deity, worshipped not only in the Indian subcontinent but in many other countries and cultures. Around the prominent goddess, there is an army of regional, folk, and Tantric goddesses, who are related to Durga, worshiped as her aspects or members of her militia in the wars against evil.
This Sharadeeya Navaratri, which is being celebrated from 3 October 2024 to 12 October 2024, we will bow in front of the unsurpassable Shakti- the divine female in Hinduism, by describing the 10 forms of the goddess in various regions, temples, and artistic cultures of India and beyond. These ten forms of the Goddess are not a formal list from the sacred texts, but a description of goddesses from different regions, nations, and cultures, to underline the omnipresence of Ancient Hindu ideal of Shakti.
While many of them have local/folk origin and a small number of dedicated followers, these forms of the goddess are often addressed as “Durga”, which remains the most beloved and powerful name all over the world when one begins to talk about the divine feminine.
Rather than being a form of the goddess Durga, her Mahishasuramardini Roopa is one of the most popular aspects or episodes related to her, which is recreated in art and worshipped during festivals. Her most enchanting appearance as Mahishasuramardini is in the Durga-Puja Pandals of Eastern India, where several feet high statues of Durga, piercing the chest of the demon Mahishasura, instill devotion and awe in the heart of the devotees.
Another aesthetic depiction of this form of Durga is found in the classic Chola bronzes, where she stands gracefully, as a youthful and feminine deity, with her pedestal adorned with the head of buffalo, symbolizing her victory over the demon, which is why this icon is labled as “Mahishasura Vijaya Durga” or simply “Vijaya Durga”, where the goddess symbolizes victory and perfection in battlefields.
A regional deity, protector of the field, health, family, and lives of her devotees, Mariamman is also worshipped as an aspect of Kali, Durga, or Parvati. In her temples in Tamil Nadu and Deccan, Mariamman is an all-powerful mother goddess, who is a blend of the wrath of Kali and the maternal nature of Uma.
Though not a popular deity all over India, Mariamman has been taken by her devotees to foreign countries such as Sri Lanka, Vietnam, South Africa, Malaysia, and Pakistan. Wherever the devotees migrate to, it seems they take their mother or Amman with them!
A local translation of “Uma” (the name of goddess Parvati), Umiya Mata is the clan deity or Kula Devi of Kadva Patidars of Gujarat. Her unique aspect is her cow mount, on which the goddess sits while holding weapons similar to Devi Durga.
Just like the goddess Uma-Parvati, Umiya Mata is worshipped as the wife of Shiva. Her vahana as a cow links her with the cattle wealth of the farming and trading communities of Gujarat, for whom animal folk are an important source of wealth, while her divine weapons highlight her connection with the supreme goddess and her role as the guardian of the people.
“She who births and nurtures the world” Jagaddhatri is an aspect of the supreme goddess popular mainly in West Bengal. She appears as Simhavahini, a form of Uma-Parvati, with her lion standing on an elephant’s head, which symbolizes pride.
According to the legends of Jagaddhatri, when Durga had vanquished Mahishasura, the gods during a conversation insisted on the superiority of their power, using whose weapons Durga was able to defeat the demon. To teach them the true nature of Shakti, Devi appeared as Jagaddhatri, the embodiment of the energy and potency of all gods, the mother of creation, and the Param Brahman- the supreme being.
A Tantric goddess, who is often associated with Narasimha as his Shakti and evoked as “Atharvana Bhadrakali”, Pratyangira or Narasimhi (the lion-faced goddess) in Devi Mahatmya is one of the Saptamatrika or seven-mother goddesses, who accompany goddess Durga during her battle with the demons.
Seated on a lion, with her four arms and weapons and a roaring lion face, Pratyangira is also linked with Tripurasundari and Kali, and though there are many sacred legends around her, she is worshipped as a form of Shakti, the feminine energy, in its potent and fierce element.
Popularly worshipped as the divine warrior, who is in eternal battles with the forces of evil to ensure a balance and auspiciousness in the world, the goddess Durga in some of visual and devotional cultures is referred to as “Jaya”- victory. Her depictions can be seen in Rajput paintings of the medieval period, commissioned by kings and ruling families, for whom victory was the supreme virtue and fruit.
Goddess Durga can be seen riding her lion, with her weapons, dressed in heavenly attire, with the conch clearly visible in her hand. Blowing the Shankha or conch is considered sacred as well as a declaration of one’s victory or announcement of the battle. Though not worshiped separately as a goddess, Durga as Jaya is a distinctive presence in the sacred art of India.
Carrying the distinctive weapons of Vishnu- Shankha and Chakra, in between her fingers making a scissors-like gesture, similar to Vishnu’s hand poses, Vishnu Durga is a unique aspect of the goddess, popular among the sculptors of Panchaloha bronzes. Inspired by Chola sculptures, icons of Vishnu Durga represent the goddess as the sister of Vishnu as well as Maya, the potency of Vishnu, through whom God sustains the Universe.
A unique and lesser-known aspect of the supreme goddess, Ugra-Chandi has a following among the Newari Hindus of Nepal, as a Tantric deity. She has an iconography similar to Mahishasuramardini, with a lion mount, vanquishing the buffalo demon, and carrying multiple divine weapons.
Her distinctive characteristics are the Mundamala (garland of skulls), eighteen-armed form, the Pratyalidha or warrior’s stance, fierce expressions, and the Bindu mudra and skull cup- a Tantric gesture that suggests an offering of blood to the deity, highlighting the special rituals and powers of Ugra-Chandi.
Chandi, Chunda, or Kanon, revered as “Lhamo”, the goddess is worshipped in East Asia, and is often termed as “Japanese Durga”, due to her popularity in the country, with the followers of Mahayana Buddhism. The goddess is a multi-armed divinity, seated on an ornate lotus, with a blooming flower forming an umbrella on the top with her hands joined in front holding the wish-fulfilling jewel. Termed as the mother of many Buddhas, Juntei Kanon is revered to remove the ill effects of one’s action or Karma, evoked through the “Chandi Dharani”- a ritual practice devoted to her.
Loro or Roro Longrang or Sang Hayan Bathari Durga, the goddess in Java, where a considerable number of Hindus practice their culture, is a unique yet universal depiction and form of the supreme goddess. The icons of Bathari Durga are similar to Indian Durga images, with a few distinctive features added, to highlight her presence in Javanese culture. The goddess stands on a bull with Bhairava by her side. Her ornaments and attire as well as facial expressions are similar to Buddhist icons of goddesses, attesting to her connections with the South East Asian culture.
Shakti- the energy that runs the entire Universe is at the core of the creation, nourishment, and destruction of the world. Her role in the cosmos is so multivalent, that it is natural to envision her in thousands and thousands of divine forms, to make sense of her omnipresence and seemingly dual nature as the mother and destroyer of all things.
However, as one turns towards the beautiful Hindu tradition all over the globe, and finds the thread of devotion that connects the innumerable forms of the goddess, we are left with one name- “Durga”. In every village, region, and country that practices Shakti worship, there is a rare and beloved form of Durga. She is maternal in some places and wrathful in others, but everywhere we go, Durga is supreme!
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