The Hindu goddess Durga (Unconquerable) is the terrific aspect of Shiva’s spouse, Uma. She is the invincible goddess of the battlefield and plays a vital role in the eternal struggle between order and chaos. Durga is one of the most widely worship deities of Hinduism, being especially invoked by the warrior classes. Although she can assume many guises, the most popular and the form most encountered in art, is that of the slayer of the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. When the gods were unable to conquer the powerful demon, Durga was created from the energy of their combined anger to fight for them in their hour of extreme need. Each god gave her a portion of his powers, and she wields various weapons in her multiple arms, including the trident of Shiva, the discus of Vishnu, and the spear of Karttikeya. Durga’s many triumphal battles to preserve world order are exalted in the Devimahatmya (Glory of the Goddess) composed in circa 550 CE. In this stark 9th-century western Indian image, the act of slaying the demon is given the main emphasis. The medium of the stone is subverted to the message of the religious meaning and the spiritual power of the image is conveyed through the powerfully direct forms and relative lack of surface embellishment. By comparison, in an elaborate 13th-century southern Indian representation (M.70.1.1), the medium is the message. Its lavish ornamentation and richness of detail aptly convey the spiritual glory of the triumphant goddess.

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