GODDESS DURGA AS MAHISHASURMARDINI
( A black stone sculpture of Durga Mahishasurmardini relating to 11th century India in Metropolitan Museum of Art ,New York. )
One of the most popular face of Goddess Durga seen in paintings and Sculptures of the Indian subcontinent is Mahishasurmardini. Adi Sankara wrote a complete Stotram in praise of Durga as Mahishasurmardini. The Stotram was popularised during the rise of the Sakta tradition in India.The Stotram begins like this :-
"Ayi Giri-Nandini Nandita-Medini
Vishva-Vinodini Nandi-Nute...
Giri-Vara-Vindhya-Shirodhi-Nivaasini
Vissnnu-Vilaasini Jissnnu-Nute....
Bhagavati He Shiti-Kannttha-Kuttumbini
Bhuri-Kuttumbini Bhuri-Krte..
Jaya Jaya hey Mahissaasura-Mardini
Ramya-Kapardini Shaila-Sute"...............
As per Hindu scriptures , Goddess Durga killed the demon ( Asura; ) Mahisha who had threatened the cosmic order. The universe was saved by this action of the Goddess .This sculpture depicts the climax of the battle between the goddess and the demon. There is hardly any artist in the country who has not painted Durga as Mahishasurmardini . There is hardly any area in the Indian subcontinent where Mahishasumardini sculptures relating to ancient and mediaeval periods have not been found .
Not many amongst us know that Mysore (Mahishooru) gets its name from Mahishasuramardini, a swaroopa of Goddess Durga . Also known as Chamundeshwari, people in Mysore believe that the demon Mahishasura was killed atop the Chamundi Hills where the Chamundeshwari Temple exists at present.
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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