The merciless Durga brings the great Mahishasura to His knees. Her simhavahana (lion-mount) has him between its teeth, while the dashabhujadharini (the one possessed of ten arms) push Him down with Her feet and drives the spear end of Her trishoola (trident) into Him. Helplessly, the proud Mahishasura looks up at the feminine victor. The work of art that you see on this page is a pattachitra of th

Mahakali, or the great (‘maha’) Kali, is the omnipotent Roopa (form) of Devi Kali. As a manifestation of the wife of Shiva, the otherwise serene Devi Parvati, the wrath of the Kali Goddess knows no bounds. The Kali statue that you see on this page captures the wrathful aspect of the Hindu Mother Goddess with perfection. To begin with, the medium is a jet black marble. It is an expressive, all-

According to Buddhism, Tara is one of the most important figures, who is known for being the female Bodhisattva(Buddha to be) in Mahayana Buddhism, and as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. As one of the three deities of long life, White Tara (Saraswati) is associated with perpetuity. Therefore, she prevents illness and thereby helps to bring about a long life. She embodies the motivation to b

A superfine Saraswati murti, sculpted from panchaloha. Panchaloha is a unique bronze made of five (‘pancha’) different iron-based (‘loha’) alloys. The metal casting method used to work with it is called madhuchista vidhana, an Agamic term for a technique that is now known as the lost wax method. This Saraswati Mata murti depicts Her in lalitasana on a narrow-cut lotus-petal throne. Her lim

The episode of the battle of the great goddess and the demon Raktabija as mentioned in the Vamana Purana describes the powerful expansions of the Adi-Shakti, which took the form of warring goddesses, each one of them originating from the other, assisting the Adi Devi Durga in slaying the demon. These goddesses came to be known as Sapta-Matrikas, “seven mothers”, and are associated with the mal

Shitala Mata is a folk deity and an incarnation of supreme Goddess Durga; cures poxes, sores, ghouls, pustules, and diseases. Shitala literally means ‘one who cools’ and is referred to as ‘ma’ or ‘mata’ as she, just like a mother cures her children of diseases and other evil spirits and ghosts. She is known by various names, Jagrani (queen of the world), Karunamayi (full of mercy), Man