DURGA

Renowned for killing Mahisasura, the buffalo demon, Durga is a wrathful form of Parvati. She is also known as Mahisha-mardini, one who killed the demon Maishasura and salvaged the human race from the tortures of demons. She is projected as the ferocious Goddess with many arms with a weapon in each of those hands. She is sometime shown holding the tail of her victim giving the impression that she could have held the body of the demon for killing him apparently at the very moment when the demon was about to draw his sword in self-defence. She is mostly shown sitting astride on top of a lion with her four hands holding in each a sword, a club, a louts flower and a dire in other hands. However, Her face always remains calm and gentle. Also see Parvati.