Durga Maa
दुर्गा माँదుర్గాదేవిதுர்கை அம்மன்
Also known as: Ambe Maa · Amba · Jagdamba · Sherawali · Mahishasura Mardini · Bhavani · Chandi · Gauri · Navadurga · Kanaka Durga
Durga Maa is the Mother Goddess who rides a lion, best known for killing the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. Devotees pray to her for protection on Tuesdays and Fridays, and above all in the nine nights of Navratri, when her nine forms are worshipped.
- Day of worship
- Tuesday · Friday
- Festivals
- Sharad Navratri
Texts for Durga Maa
The story
The Devi Mahatmya tells how the buffalo-demon Mahishasura, made almost unbeatable by a boon, drove the gods out of heaven. In their anger, a great light came out of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and all the gods, and it gathered into the form of the Goddess. Each god gave her a weapon. Shiva gave his trident, Vishnu his discus and Indra his thunderbolt, and the Himalaya gave her a lion to ride.
The name Durga means 'the one who is hard to reach'. Mahishasura kept changing shape, from buffalo to lion to elephant, and she fought him until she struck him down. Popular tradition says the battle went on for nine days and she won on the tenth. In other battles she killed Shumbha and Nishumbha, Chanda and Munda, and Raktabija, from whose every drop of blood a new demon was born. Many devotees also read these stories as the Mother defeating the ego inside us.
Her festival is Navratri, nine nights that come twice a year, in Chaitra (spring) and in Sharad (autumn). Each night one of her nine forms is worshipped, from Shailaputri to Siddhidatri. Sharad Navratri ends on Vijayadashami (Dussehra). In Bengal, and wherever Bengali families live, Durga Puja celebrates her coming home with her children. On Navratri evenings many families sing the aarti Jai Ambe Gauri.