Goddess Mahishamardini, Durga, the divine slayer of demons, has been a favourite icon delineated by ancient Indian artists. The images of Mahishamardini-Durga evolved in visual forms right from the 2nd-1st century BCE. Durga-Devi represents the syncretised energy of the divinities. Ancient literature has fertile narrations about her. The early texts Durga Sapta Shati, Durga Bhagavata and many scriptures describe the Goddess and her valiant deeds. Rig Veda has dedicated mantras to Devi; Durga Sukta describes her varied aspects.
Upanishads, epics like the Mahabharata and the Puranas have an exuberant narration of Devi as protector and slayer. Devi has been depicted with great imagination in ancient Indian sculptures and paintings. The Goddess standing victoriously over Mahisha (buffalo demon) and combating him were popular forms. The multiple-armed Devi form with shankha, chakra and trishula has become a standard iconographic feature.
Early images of Devi were in terracotta and also stone. There are a few examples in the Satavahana, Kushana period (2nd-1st century BCE and onwards). It appears terracotta images are very tiny in size and possibly were worshipped as votive figures. An example of Devi (Kushana period) is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, while another fragmentary piece depicting Devi as standing on the head of Mahisha was found at Sannati in Karnataka’s Gulbarga District.
Mahishamardini sculptures became quite popular from the 3rd-4th century CE onwards. The dynasties like Guptas, Vakatakas, Vishnukundins, Kalachuris and Banavasi Kadambas (4-6th century CE) have contributed a good number of Durga images with interesting forms. Regional variations in style and mode of depictions of Devi sculptures may be seen in these periods. The Mahishamardini sculpture at Udaigiri Caves in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, has an aggressive form of Devi.
She has vanquished Mahisha and is celebrating the victory. Banavasi Kadamba period examples are iconic in appearance. Images from Talagunda and Devihal (Dharwad) depict her with a heavy trishula that pierces Mahisha. The Talagunda image has heavy-looking features, while the Devihal one has a more refined and rhythmic appearance. An image from Jambehalli in Uttara Kannada District has perhaps more sophisticated features in portrayal as well as style.
Badami Chalukya artists added expressive features to the image of Mahishamardini. The Devi image in Badami Cave-1 celebrates her victory over the demon. Similar examples with variants are found in Aihole’s Ravanphadi Cave and Durga Temple. The Ravanphadi image of Devi (ca. 560 CE) may be identified as Durga Mahishamardini as she has her vehicle, the lion. The vehicle appears here for the first time in Karnataka.
Perhaps the most dynamic image of Mahishamardini is in a subshrine of Pattadakal’s Virupaksha Temple. In this image, the demon is in anthropomorphic form—his horns indicate he is Mahisha (buffalo). Devi, with all vigour, suppresses him with her left feet pressed over his head. With two hands on her right side, she pierces the spear and sword into his chest and neck. It is perhaps the best of its type in Indian art as the Chalukya artists were known for their creative expressions.
One of the most striking and unique images of Devi in her combative posture is found in a cave temple in Tamil Nadu’s Mamallapuram. A seventh century image, it shows Devi in an athletic posture—she is shown riding a lion and fighting the demon who is in zoo-anthropomorphic form. Mahishamardini is riding a lion with her legs spread on either side like a horse rider. She has eight arms that hold an arrow, bow, shankha, chakra, sword, shield, gantha (bell) and trishula.
She is shown as a warrior figure fighting the demon. The figure of Mahisha is larger and holding a heavy mace. The large rectangular composition of this panel has many gana figures as the retinue of the energetic Devi. This form of Durga has become very popular in TN temples and even in Karnataka as well as Maharashtra. The Mallikarjuna Temple in Pattadakal, Karnataka, has an almost similar image of a fighting Durga. However, here it is a very small image and indeed will not match the grandeur of the Mamallapuram sculpture.
Almost 100 years later, a similar large wall sculpture of Durga Mahishamardini was carved at the famous Kailasanatha temple in Ellora, Maharashtra. Here, Devi is seated in a side posture on a lion; she fights the demon who is reciprocal in his posture. Devi’s persona looks very athletic and young. The fighting is being witnessed by the Ashta Dikpalakas, who are present in the upper strata of the panel. The combat scene is undoubtedly inspired by the Mamallapuram version of Devi and is redesigned and depicted here by the artist.
Mahishamardini/Durga Bhagavati as one of the premier deities of panchayatana practice (the five premier divinities are Rudra, Vishnu, Ganesha, Durga and Surya) becomes omnipresent with her nine forms as Nava-Durga (Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kaalaratri, Shailaputri, Siddharatri and MahaGauri), whose association with Navaratri is inseparable. Artists, besides the religious association, have delineated the figures with great vivacity and reverence. Durga dominates the Indian religious belief system as a popular cult deity.
R H Kulkarni
Professor, Dept of Art History, College of Fine Arts, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath
(rhkulkarniarthistory@gmail.com)