Durga
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In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: दुर्गा, Bengali: দুর্গা) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. She is sometimes referred[name a specific person/group] to as the mother of Kartik, and Ganesh only. Some religions[name a specific person/group] say she is an incarnation of Lakshmi with the help of Saraswati and Parvati.
Durga is depicted as a warrior woman riding a lion or a tiger with multiple hands carrying weapons and assuming 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
According to the narrative from the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana, the form of Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight the demon. His father Rambha, king of the demons, once fell in love with a water buffalo, and Mahishasur was born out of this union. He is therefore able to change between human and buffalo form at will (mahisha means "buffalo"). Through intense prayers to Brahma, Mahishasura had the boon that he could not be defeated by any man or god. By virtue of this power, he invaded the gods, who went for help to the supreme trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra), but Mahishashura defeated all of the gods including the trinity themselves. He unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether worlds.
Eventually, since only a woman could kill him, the trinity bestowed a dazzling beam of energy upon The Goddess Trinity, transforming her into the goddess, Durga. Her form was blindingly beautiful with 3 lotus-like, blood-bordered eyes, ten powerful hands, hair in the form of black pearls, 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 gada etc. Himalayas gifted her a fierce white tiger. On the end of the 8th & 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 strength, reflects the warrior aspect of the goddess, embodying a traditional male role. But she is also strikingly beautiful, and initially Mahishasura tries to marry her. Other incarnations include Annapurna and Karunamayi (karuna = kindness).
[edit] The Worship of Durga
The 4 day Durga Puja is the biggest annual festival in Bengal and other 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 Dashami (East and South India), Dashain (Nepal) or Dussehra (North India) - these words literally mean "the 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.
Goddess Durga is worshipped in many temples of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.
[edit] List of Durga temples in India
- Sri Durga Parameshwari Mata Mandir,Karla
- Ambika Mata Temple in the village of Jagat near Mount Abu in Rajasthan, India.
- Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Kateel, Karnataka
- Sri Durga Temple, Kunjarugiri, Udupi
- Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Talapady.
- Mahishamardhini Temple, Kadiyali, Udupi
- Shree Durga Parameshwari Temple, Mundkur.
- Kalighat Temple, Kolkatta.
- Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam.
- Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
- Amba Bhavani Temple, Tuljapur, Maharashtra
- Shanta Durga temple in Goa
[edit] See also
- Durga Puja
- Hindu Goddess
- Essentials Of Durga Puja
- Mundkur Durga Temple
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 gnanaPrasunaambika 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
[edit] Further reading
- Durga Puja: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Sudeshna Banerjee, Rupa and Co, Calcutta, 2004. (ISBN 81-291-0547-0)
- Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions, David Kinsley. (ISBN 81-208-0379-5)
- Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair : Selected Poems to the Mother Goddess, Ramprasad Sen (1720-1781). (ISBN 0-934252-94-7)
- Durga Puja Beginner, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir, 2001. (ISBN 1-887-47289-4)
- "Chandi Path", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-52-6)
- "Chandi Path: Study of Chapter One", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-58-5)
- "Chandi Path: Study of Chapter Two", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-60-7)
- "Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-61-5)
- "Devi Gita", Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir (ISBN 1-877795-56-9)
[edit] External links
- Celebrate Navaratri in its pure form.
- Durga - Narrative Art of an 'Independent' Warrior Goddess
- Durgapuja 2006 in Calcutta
- Durga Puja in Cologne, Germany
- Navratri Festival Goddess Durga Festival (N. India) for 9 nights.
- Hindu Goddess Durga
- The Bengali Durga Puja experience Multimedia photos of thousands of pujas - including faraway places such as Helsinki, Auckland, or Lagos.
- Durga Puja - Lucid and detailed information on all relevant aspects of the festival
- Internet World Exposition 1996, India, Durga Puja
- Frequently Asked Questions about Durga
- Goddess Durga Reflection of Shakti Swarupaparvati
- London Durga Puja 2006
- Kolkata Durga Puja 2006
- Sapthashati or Chandi Path Detailed explanation and chanting of Durga Sapthashati
- Chandi Yagya1000 day Fire ceremony worship of Durga at Devi Mandir
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa |  |
|---|---|
| Female Deities: Gayatri | Saraswati | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more... | |
| Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Kartikeya | Hanuman | Lakshmana | Indra | Surya | more... | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | |
| Festivals in the Hindu calendar |  |
|---|---|
| Sankranti | Hosa Varsha | Gowri Habba | Anantana Vrata | Bheemana Amaavaase | Satyanarayana Pooja | Datta Jayanti | Pongal | Holi | Ugadi | Rama Navami | Krishna Janmaashtami | Onam | Ganesh Chaturthi | Vaisakhi | Navratri | Durga Puja | Vijayadashami | Dasara | Karwa Chauth | Deepawali | Thaipusam | Maha Shivaratri | Ekadasi | Vaikunta Ekadasi | Mahalakshmi vrata | Raksha Bandhan | Bhai-Dooj/Bhau-Beej | Puthandu
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