The Goddess Durga: The Mother of the Hindu Universe
In Sanskrit, Durga means "a fort" or "a place that is difficult to overrun," an apt metaphor for this deity's protective, militant nature. Durga is sometimes referred to as Durgatinashini, which literally translates into "the one who eliminates sufferings."
Durga, also identified as Adi Parashakti, Devī, Shakti, Bhavani, Parvati, Amba, Yogmaya and by numerous other names, is a principal and popular form of Hindu Goddess. She is the warrior goddess, whose mythology centres around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity and dharma of the good.
Quotes
Durga looks gracious always with sweet smile on her lips, her hands are one thousand in number. Various weapons are in all her hands. The clothing's of the three-eyed one are bright and purified by Fire. She is decorated with ornaments all of jewels. All the women who are the jewels are sprung from her parts and parts of parts and by the power of her Mâyâ, all the people of the world are enchanted. She bestows all the wealth that a householder wants to have.
Durga's Appearance
Befitting her role as mother protector, Durga is multi-limbed so that she may always be ready to battle evil from any direction. In most depictions, she has between eight and 18 arms and holds a symbolic object in each hand.
Like her consort Shiva, the goddess Durga is also referred to as Triyambake (the three-eyed goddess). Her left eye represents desire, symbolized by the moon; her right eye represents action, symbolized by the sun; and her middle eye stands for knowledge, symbolized by fire.
Hindu goddess: Lakshmi
Lakshmi Puja , is a Hindu religious festival that falls on Amavasya (new moon day) of Krishna Paksha (Dark fortnight) in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Ashwin, on the third day of Tihar and is considered as the main festive day of Deepawali.
According to legend, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and lord Vishnu's wife, visits her devotees and bestows gifts and blessings upon each of them. To welcome the Goddess, devotees clean their houses, decorate them with finery and lights, and prepare sweet treats and delicacies as offerings. Devotees believe the happier Lakshmi is with the visit, the more she blesses the family with health and wealth.
Hindu goddess: Saraswati
Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom and learning worshipped throughout Nepal and India. She is a part of the trinity (Tridevi) of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati. All the three forms help the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to create, maintain and regenerate-recycle the Universe respectively
Hindu goddess: Kartikeya
Kartikeya and Subrahmanya, is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, brother of Ganesha, and a god whose life story has many versions in Hinduism. An important deity around South Asia since ancient times, Kartikeya is particularly popular and predominantly worshipped in South India and Sri Lanka as Murugan
Hindu goddess: Ganesha
Ganesha also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, Pillaiyar and Binayak, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bali (Indonesia), Bangladesh and Nepal. Hindu denominations worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists.
