Durga And Her Manifestations
Article written by Devaleena Joardar
As Durga Puja is approaching, Mr. Prabhas Kejariwal of Chitrakoot Art Gallery and Mr. Ashatit Halder of Charulata have come together to present the fire, power, strength, and the ascetic forms of feminine being through the paintings of Ma Durga and her manifestations.
“Ya Devi sarvabhuteshu shakti-rupena samsthita, namas tasyai, namas tasyai, namas tasyai, namo namaha;
Ya Devi sarvabhuteshu shanti-rupena samsthita, namas tasyai, namas tasyai, namas tasyai, namo namaha”
“To that goddess who abides in all beings as power, salutations to Thee
To that goddess who abides in all beings as peace, salutations to Thee”.
If we go back to the 20th c., during the time of national movement in India, the nation came to be identified with the image of Bharat Mata, which was first created by the nationalist Bengali writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in his novel Anandamath. Influenced by the Swadeshi movement, Abanindranath Tagore painted the image of Bharat Mata where she is portrayed as an ascetic figure, who is calm, composed, divine and spiritual.
Gradually over the years, different artists painted Bharat Mata in different forms with their own perspectives and Durga or Bharat Mata evolved as she is seen today. In one painting, she is seen with a trishul, standing beside a lion and an elephant—both symbols of power and authority.
Goddess Durga is integral to the Hindu religion and is associated with strength, protection, motherhood, war, and destruction. According to Hindu mythology there are nine forms of Durga that appear during the nine-day war with Mahishashura. On the ninth day, there is victory over evil. This day is celebrated as Vijayadashami.
Shailaputri is the first form of Goddess Durga. She is worshipped on the first day of Navaratri. She is seen with a trident in her right hand and a lotus flower in her left hand, and rides the “Nandi” bull.
Brahmacharini form of Durga is worshipped on the second day of Navaratri. She carries a rosary bead made of dried rudraksha in her right hand and a kamandalu in her left hand.
Chandraghanta is the third form of Goddess Durga who is worshipped on the third day. Her third eye is open and she is always ready to fight the demons. Therefore, she is also is known as Ranachandi. She has 10 hands.
She holds the trident in two hands, mace, bow and arrow, khadaga, lotus, ghanta, and kamandalu with other hands. One of her hands is always in blessing posture or abhayamudra, which dispels fear. She has a bell-shaped half moon on her forehead, for which she is known as Chandraghanta.Kushmanda, the fourth form of Durga is worshipped on the fourth day of the Navaratri. The name can be broken down into Ku, meaning “a little”; Ushma, meaning “warmth” or “energy”; and Anda, meaning “cosmic egg”. Her vahana is a lion. She is known as Adi Shakti and is credited with the creation of the universe.The fifth form of Durga is Skandamata, and she is seen carrying Kartikeya in her lap. She has four arms. She holds a lotus in her two hands, holds Kartikeya on one hand, and the other hand is in a blessing mudra or abhayamudra. She has three eyes and her vahana is the lion.
The warrior form of Goddess Durga, the Katyayani appears on the sixth day. Besides her, Bhadrakali and Chandika are the other two fierce forms of Durga. She has eighteen arms and carries various weapons. She is mounted on a lion. She is named after sage Katyayana, who performed a penance of Goddess Durga and asked her to be born as his daughter as a boon.
Kalaratri is the most violent form of Goddess Durga, and is the seventh form prayed duirng Navaratri on the seventh day. She destroys darkness and ignorance. She is mounted on a donkey. Also known as Goddess Kali, she has four hands, on two of which she carries a scimitar and a thunderbolt, and she blesses and protects with her other two hands.
Mahagauri, the eighth form of Durga is celebrated on the eighth day of Navaratri. She is a four-armed deity with trishul on one hand and a damru on the other hand. She is seen dispelling fear and blessing people with two other hands.
Siddhidhatri is the ninth and final form of Durga. She is said to be provider of all Siddhis. She is mounted on a lotus, and is seen carrying a conch, a gada, and a chakra. As per Hindu mythology, she is the personification of Mahashakti, who created the universe. It is said that Shiva obtained all the Siddhis while praying to Goddess Siddhidhatri.
Approximately 20 paintings of various forms of Durga are on display. Different mediums have been used. The evocative paintings encapsulate the Goddess’s divine aura. The works resonate with the spiritual importance of the festivals, and also create a sense of devotion and creativity. We can see Durga paintings by the artists of Early Bengal, Old Bengal, legends, and upcoming young talents.
We encourage all art lovers, artists, art connoisseurs and others to visit the exhibition at Chitrakoot Art Gallery, 2-6pm, 2 October to 30 October, and soak in the knowledge and art of the divine.
