Parvati’s name means daughter of the parvat (mountain). She has many forms. In Rigveda, she is referred to as Ambika and Rudrani. As Uma, she is the personification of divine wisdom. As Parvati, she is Shiva’s wife and the mother of Ganesha (the God of good fortune), and Kartikeya (the commander of the army of the Gods). Vaishno Devi, a goddess popular all over India, is also a folk manifestation of Parvati. The shrine of Vaishno Devi located in Katra, near Jammu, is one of the most visited in the country.
As Durga, she is the Goddess of war. She is worshipped with great fervour in Bengal where Durga Puja is celebrated over nine days, annually. Durga idols are installed in pandals, which commonly show Durga slaying Mahishasura. The story goes that a battle raged between the devas and the asuras for a hundred years. Finally, the asuras led by Mahishasura won. The vanquished devas sought help from Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva. The three combined their energies to give rise to Durga. Durga has continued to inspire warriors through the ages. When Shivaji achieved military successes against all odds, word went round that he had received his sword from Bhavani—a form of Durga, herself.
As Kali, she is black in complexion and fear-inducing. In paintings and sculptures, she is depicted standing on top of Shiva, lying down on the ground and grinning with an outstretched tongue. Her body is smeared red with the blood of the demons she has slain. She wears a long necklace of demons’ skulls. She has long black hair. The most famous Kali temple is in Kolkata. In fact, the original name of Kolkata was Kalighat. As Sati, she is the ideal wife to Shiva.
When Sati’s father insulted Shiva, Sati could not bear it and leapt into fire. Sati was reborn as Parvati and again became Shiva’s wife. Since then, women who are loyal to their husbands have been called satis. Unfortunately, this had led to some women being burnt in the pyres of their dead husbands and being glorified as satis. Luckily, this practice has now been discontinued.
Several interesting stories have been created around the married life of Parvati and Shiva. Shiva is an ascetic who is indifferent to the ways of the world. Parvati often tries to make Shiva more civilised and worldly. In folk dances and plays, it is common to see Parvati complain about Shiva’s primitive or absent dressing sense; the strange companions he keeps, and his neglect to provide her with a proper house to live in. It is amusing to see Parvati soundly rebuking the much-feared God.