Revered for her strength, courage, and protective nature, Durga is a Hindu goddess with both maternal and terrible aspects. Often depicted with eight or ten arms, each bearing a symbolic weapon or object, Durga has been worshipped throughout India since at least 400 CE. She embodies Shakti — the divine feminine energy — and represents the triumph of good over evil.
As the consort of Shiva, Durga is alluded to in the Vedas, where she appears as a protective and auspicious force, though her more familiar image — riding the back of a lion or tiger, armed and triumphant over evil — is fully developed later in sacred texts like the Puranas and Tantras. These later scriptures, especially the Devi Mahatmya from the Markandeya Purana, highlight her immense power to confer grace on sincere seekers of God and, conversely, to mete out punishment to the ignorant and demon-deluded.
In particular, the story of Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura is central to her mythology, highlighting her role as the fierce protector of the cosmic order, or Dharma.
Based on what I witnessed while living in India in the late 1980s, a Hindu priest would often conscript local youngsters to canvass for donations in order to construct an effigy of the goddess prior to the annual fall celebration of Durga Puja. For several days, the life-size doll would be paraded throughout cities and towns on a cart, often accompanied by Hindi pop music blaring from a portable sound system. This event epitomizes India's unique synthesis of the ancient, the sacred, and the contemporary, where vibrant street celebrations and devotional practices seamlessly coexist.
Durga Puja, especially prominent in West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha, is not only a religious festival but also a cultural high point, uniting communities across social lines. At the festival’s close, the effigies are ritually immersed in rivers or lakes, symbolizing the cyclical nature of creation and dissolution in Hindu thought. As a major Hindu goddess, Durga also has a presence in Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh traditions.
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| Women joyfully smear each other with Vermillion as part of the exuberant Durga Puja festival celebrations in Nagaon, Assam, India. |
As the consort of Shiva, Durga is alluded to in the Vedas, where she appears as a protective and auspicious force, though her more familiar image — riding the back of a lion or tiger, armed and triumphant over evil — is fully developed later in sacred texts like the Puranas and Tantras. These later scriptures, especially the Devi Mahatmya from the Markandeya Purana, highlight her immense power to confer grace on sincere seekers of God and, conversely, to mete out punishment to the ignorant and demon-deluded.
In particular, the story of Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura is central to her mythology, highlighting her role as the fierce protector of the cosmic order, or Dharma.
Based on what I witnessed while living in India in the late 1980s, a Hindu priest would often conscript local youngsters to canvass for donations in order to construct an effigy of the goddess prior to the annual fall celebration of Durga Puja. For several days, the life-size doll would be paraded throughout cities and towns on a cart, often accompanied by Hindi pop music blaring from a portable sound system. This event epitomizes India's unique synthesis of the ancient, the sacred, and the contemporary, where vibrant street celebrations and devotional practices seamlessly coexist.
Durga Puja, especially prominent in West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha, is not only a religious festival but also a cultural high point, uniting communities across social lines. At the festival’s close, the effigies are ritually immersed in rivers or lakes, symbolizing the cyclical nature of creation and dissolution in Hindu thought. As a major Hindu goddess, Durga also has a presence in Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh traditions.
Related » Great Mother
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