Durga

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Durga
Image:Durga Mahisasuramardini.JPG
Image of Durga, shown riding her tiger and attacking the demon Mahishasura
God of Vengeance / Victory
Devanagari:दुर्गा
Bengali:দুর্গা
Affiliation:Avatar of Devi
Abode:Kailash
Mantra:Om Dum Durgayei Namaha Om Aing Hring Kling Chamundayei Vichche
Weapon:Trishula (trident), Chakram,
Scimitar, Snake,
Conch shell, Mace,
Bow, Talwar (longsword),
Lotus, Thunderbolt
Consort:Shiva
Mount:Dawon (tiger or lion)

In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: "the inaccessible"[1] or "the invincible"[2]) or Maa Durga (Mother Durga) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. Goddess Durga is considered by Hindus to be the mother of Ganesha, Kartikeya, as well of Saraswati and Lakshmi.[3] She is thus considered the fiercer, demon-fighting form of Shiva's wife, goddess Parvati.

Durga is depicted as a warrior aspect of Devi Parvati with 10 arms who rides a lion or a tiger, carries weapons and assumes mudras, or symbolic hand gestures. This form of the Goddess is the embodiment of feminine and creative energy (Shakti).

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[edit] Durga in the Hindu tradition

Image:Durga idol.jpg
A typical community idol of Durga, worshipped during Durga Puja

The Great Goddess Durga is said to be exquisitely beautiful. Her form is blindingly bright (devi), with three lotus-like eyes, ten powerful hands, lush hair with beautiful curls, a red-golden glow from her skin and a quarter moon on her forehead. She wears a shiny oceanic blue attire emitting fierce rays. Her ornaments were carved beautifully of gold, with ocean pearls and precious stones embedded in it. Each god also gave her their own most powerful weapons, Rudra's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandal, Kuber's gada, etc. Himalayas gifted her a fierce whitish golden lion. On the end of the 8th and beginning of the 9th 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. Her form was the most powerful one with 3 red eyes, blood-filled tongue and dark skin; who finally killed the twin demons with her sword. This form of the divine goddess is worshipped during the sandhikshan of Durga Puja festival, as sandhi/chandi puja. Finally on the tenth day of waxing moon, goddess Durga killed Mahishasura with her trident.

The word Shakti, meaning sacred feminine force, and Durga reflects the warrior aspect of the goddess, embodying a traditional male role. She is also strikingly beautiful, and initially Mahishasura tries to marry her! Other incarnations include Annapurna and Karunamayi (karuna = kindness).

According to the narrative from the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana, the form of Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight a demon. The demon's father Rambha, king of the demons, once fell in love with a water buffalo, and Mahish Asur (the demon Mahish) was born out of this union. He is therefore able to change between human and buffalo form at will (mahish means "buffalo"). Through intense prayers to Brahma, Mahishasur had the boon that he could not be defeated by any man or god. He unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether worlds.

Eventually, since only a woman could kill him, the Holy Male Trinity bestowed a dazzling beam of energy upon their own consorts, transforming them into one generic goddess, Durga.

[edit] The Worship of Durga

Image:S344 durga-idol-golden.png
A priest worshipping a contemporary image of Durga during Durga Puja

The 9 days Durga Puja is the biggest annual festival in Bengal, celebrated likewise with much fervour in the other extremity of India, Gujarat, and parts of Eastern India, but it is celebrated in various forms throughout the Hindu universe.

The day of Durga's victory is celebrated as Vijaya Dashmi (East and South India), Dashain (Nepal) or Dussehra (North India) - these words literally mean "the Victorius Tenth" (day), vijaya means "of-victory". In Kashmir she is worshipped as shaarika (the main temple is in Hari Parbat in Srinagar).

The actual period of the worship however may be on the preceding nine days followed by the last day called Vijayadashami in North India or five days in Bengal, (from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing-moon fortnight). Nine aspects of Durga known as Navadurga are meditated upon, one by one during the nine-day festival by devout shakti worshippers.

In North India, this tenth day, signifying Rama's victory in his battle against the demon Ravana, is celebrated as Dussehra - gigantic straw effigies of Ravana are burnt in designated open spaces (e.g. Delhi's Ram Lila grounds), watched by thousands of families and little children.

In Gujarat it is celebrated as the last day of Navaratri, during which the Garba dance is performed to celebrate the vigorous victory of Mahishasura-mardini Durga.

The Goddess Durga worshipped in her peaceful form as MahaGauri, The Fair Lady, Shree Shantadurga also known as santeri , is the patron Goddess of Goa. She is worshipped by all Goan Hindus irrespective of caste and even by some Christians in Goa.

Goddess Durga is worshipped in many temples of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.

Another important text on Durga is the 21-verse long Mahishasura Mardini Stotram (Prayer to the Goddess who killed Mahishasura) written by Ramakrishna Kavi. [4] [5]

[edit] List of Durga temples in India

Image:Br Mus Durga.JPG
Durga sculpture, British Museum
  • Kanaka Durga Temple, Pandaripuram , Chilakaluripet, Andhra Pradesh
  • DurgaKund Temple in Varanasi , the biggest of all durga temples
  • Matrimandir in the city of Auroville near Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu.
  • Sri Durga Parameshwari Mata Mandir,Karla
  • Ambika Mata Temple in the village of Jagat near Mount Abu in Rajasthan, India.
  • Bhairabi Devalaya, in Tezpur, Assam
  • Sri Vijaya Durga Saunsthan, Keri, GOA
  • Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Kateel, Karnataka
  • Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Kamalashile, Karnataka
  • Sri Durga Temple, Kunjarugiri, Udupi, Karnataka
  • Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Talapady, Karnataka
  • Mahishamardhini Temple, Kadiyali, Udupi, Karnataka
  • Shree Durga Parameshwari Temple, Mundkur, Karnataka
  • Shree Durga Parameshwari Temple, Bayer, Kasargod dt. Kerela
  • Kalighat Temple, Kolkata.
  • Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam
  • Devi Dol, Sibsagar, Assam
  • Devi Dol, Gaurisagar, Assam
  • Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
  • Amba Bhavani Temple, Tuljapur, Maharashtra
  • Shanta Durga temple in Goa
  • Sri Patteeshwaram Durgai Temple. (Believed to be worshipped by Great Chola Dynasty before any war.) Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
  • Sri Kathiraamangalam Temple (Goddess is Swayamboo and Many sages did their Japa's here, including Guru Dhronacharya.) Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
  • Shri Vindhyavasini Temple, Vindhyachal
  • Shri Bramarambika Temple, Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
  • Shri Maha Kaleshwari Temple, UJJAIN, Madhya Pradesh
  • Shri Jogulamba Temple,Alampur, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh
  • Shri Gnana Prasunaambika Temple, Srikalahasti, Andhra
  • Shri Siddha Peeth Durga Devi Temple, Kasi/Varanasi, Uttar PRADESH
  • Shri Mahishashuramardhini Temple, Thiruthani, Tamil Nadu
  • Shri Maihar Devi, Maihar, Madhya Pradesh
  • Shri Annapurna Devi Temple, Kashi/Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
  • Shri Vaishno Devi, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir
  • Jamwa Mata temple at Jamwa Ramgarh district Jaipur Rajasthan
  • Shila Devi temple at Amber Jaipur Rajasthan
  • Sri Katyayani Peeth Temple at Vrindaban.
  • Sri Adya Katyayani Mandir,Chattarpur, New Delhi
  • Sri Kalka Ji Mandir,Kalkaji, New Delhi
  • Sri Sheetla Mata Mandir,Gurgaon
  • Thrikkavu Shri Durga Bhagavathy Temple,Ponnani,Kerala[1]
  • Amba Mata Temple, Mount Girnar, Junagadh, Gujarat [and here she is mounted on a lion]
  • Chamunda mataji- Chotila, Gujarat- chamunda maa- is seen with two heads
  • Shree Kalika maa- Pavagadh, Gujarat
  • Harsiddhi maa(harshad mata)- harsiddhi maa is at the top of the hill called koyla, her mandir is near porbander and miyani- Gujarat
  • Khodiyar mata-mandirs are in matel,galdhara,rajapara- theses are the main shrines of khodiyar maa
  • Bahuchara maa- mandir is at shankalpur or bahuchraji- near ahmedabad-gujarat

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Durga." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 25 Feb. 2007 <http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9363243/Durga">.
  2. ^ "Durga" Sanatan Society <http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/durga.htm>.
  3. ^ Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal By June McDaniel p.225
  4. ^ Mahishasura mardini stotram
  5. ^ Mahishasurmardini Translation

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

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