Durga, the warrior goddess!
The four-day Durga Puja (Worship of Durga) is the biggest annual festival in West Bengal and other parts of Eastern India.
In West Bengal, India, Durga is revered as the supreme goddess, a divine manifestation of Shakti, which itself is the embodiment of the spiritual dimension of the creative, feminine energy.
According to the Devi Mahatmya (a Hindu scripture in Sanskrit containing seven hundred verses, arranged into thirteen chapters, and only a part of the larger Markandeya Purana), the form of Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight the demon Mahisasura. Through prayer and meditation, tthe demon Mahisasura earned a boon from Brahma that no man or god would be able to defeat him in battle. With this power on his side, Mahisasura invaded the abode of the gods, who went to the supreme trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra) for help. But, Mahisasura defeated all of the gods, including the trinity themselves. He unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether world.
Eventually, since only a woman could kill him, the trinity bestowed a dazzling beam of energy upon Uma (also known as Parvati), the wife of Shiva, transforming her into the goddess Durga. Her form was blindingly beautiful with three lotus-like, blood-bordered eyes, ten powerful hands, hair in the form of black pearls, and a golden glow from her skin. Her face was sculpted by Shiva, torso by Indra, breasts by Chandra (the moon), teeth by Brahma, bottom by the Earth, thighs and knees by Varuna (wind), and her three eyes by Agni (fire). Each god also gave her their own most powerful weapons, Rudra's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandal, Kuber's mace/club, and so forth. The Himalayas gave her a fierce, white lion. At the end of the eighth and the beginning of the ninth day of waxing moon, Chanda and Munda came to fight the goddess. She turned blue with anger and goddess Chamunda leaped out of her third eye. This form of her was the most powerful, with the three red eyes, blood-filled tongue and darkened skin. It was in this form that she annihilated the twin demons with her sword. The Chamunda form of the divine goddess is worshipped during the sandhikshan (a special hour) of the four-day Durga Puja festival. Finally, on the tenth day of waxing moon, goddess Durga killed Mahisasura with her trident.
The word Shakti, literally meaning strength, reflects the warrior form of the goddess, enveloping a traditional male role. But, she is also an embodiment of Karunamayi (Mother Kindness), who saved the Universe from destruction at the hands of the monster.
(From many sources; primarily, Wikipedia.)
The close-up image shown above is a photo I took at the 2006 Durga Puja Festival, organized by the Bengali Association Dallas-Fort Worth, in Irving, Texas.
Some of you may care to see the 'Durga, the warrior goddess!' on Black.
Durga, the warrior goddess!
The four-day Durga Puja (Worship of Durga) is the biggest annual festival in West Bengal and other parts of Eastern India.
In West Bengal, India, Durga is revered as the supreme goddess, a divine manifestation of Shakti, which itself is the embodiment of the spiritual dimension of the creative, feminine energy.
According to the Devi Mahatmya (a Hindu scripture in Sanskrit containing seven hundred verses, arranged into thirteen chapters, and only a part of the larger Markandeya Purana), the form of Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight the demon Mahisasura. Through prayer and meditation, tthe demon Mahisasura earned a boon from Brahma that no man or god would be able to defeat him in battle. With this power on his side, Mahisasura invaded the abode of the gods, who went to the supreme trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra) for help. But, Mahisasura defeated all of the gods, including the trinity themselves. He unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether world.
Eventually, since only a woman could kill him, the trinity bestowed a dazzling beam of energy upon Uma (also known as Parvati), the wife of Shiva, transforming her into the goddess Durga. Her form was blindingly beautiful with three lotus-like, blood-bordered eyes, ten powerful hands, hair in the form of black pearls, and a golden glow from her skin. Her face was sculpted by Shiva, torso by Indra, breasts by Chandra (the moon), teeth by Brahma, bottom by the Earth, thighs and knees by Varuna (wind), and her three eyes by Agni (fire). Each god also gave her their own most powerful weapons, Rudra's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandal, Kuber's mace/club, and so forth. The Himalayas gave her a fierce, white lion. At the end of the eighth and the beginning of the ninth day of waxing moon, Chanda and Munda came to fight the goddess. She turned blue with anger and goddess Chamunda leaped out of her third eye. This form of her was the most powerful, with the three red eyes, blood-filled tongue and darkened skin. It was in this form that she annihilated the twin demons with her sword. The Chamunda form of the divine goddess is worshipped during the sandhikshan (a special hour) of the four-day Durga Puja festival. Finally, on the tenth day of waxing moon, goddess Durga killed Mahisasura with her trident.
The word Shakti, literally meaning strength, reflects the warrior form of the goddess, enveloping a traditional male role. But, she is also an embodiment of Karunamayi (Mother Kindness), who saved the Universe from destruction at the hands of the monster.
(From many sources; primarily, Wikipedia.)
The close-up image shown above is a photo I took at the 2006 Durga Puja Festival, organized by the Bengali Association Dallas-Fort Worth, in Irving, Texas.
Some of you may care to see the 'Durga, the warrior goddess!' on Black.