Durga This page contains Indic text . Without rendering support , you may see irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts . More ... Durga ( Maa Durga ) A priest worshipping a contemporary image of Durga , shown riding her lion and attacking the demon Mahishasura . God of Victory Devanagari : दुर्गा Affiliation : Devi Weapon : Trident ( primary ) , Chakram , Scimitar , Snake , Conch shell , Mace , Bow , Longsword , Lotus , Thunderbolt Mount : lion In Hinduism , Durga ( Sanskrit : दुर्गा , Bengali : দুর্গা ) is a form of Devi , the supreme goddess , also identified with Parvati . As a mother goddess , she is frequently called Maa Durga and is sometimes referred to as the mother of Kartik , and Ganesh only. ( in some traditions she is also an incarnation of Saraswati or Lakshmi ) . Durga is depicted as a warrior woman riding a lion or a tiger with multiple hands carrying weapons and assuming mudras , or symbolic hand gestures . This form of the Goddess is the embodiment of feminine and creative energy ( Shakti ) . Durga in the Hindu tradition According to the narrative from the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana , the form of Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight the demon Mahishasura . His father Rambha , king of the demons , once fell in love with a water buffalo , and Mahishasur was born out of this union . He is therefore able to change between human and buffalo form at will ( mahisha means `` buffalo '' ) . Through intense prayers to Brahma , Mahishasura had the boon that he could not be defeated by any man or god . By virtue of this power , he invaded the gods , who went for help to the supreme trinity ( Brahma , Vishnu , and Rudra ) , but Mahishashura defeated all of the gods including the trinity themselves . He unleashed a reign of terror on earth , heaven and the nether worlds . Eventually , since only a woman could kill him , the trinity bestowed a dazzling beam of energy upon Uma / Parvati , the wife of Shiva , transforming her into the goddess , Durga . Her form was blindingly beautiful with 3 lotus-like , blood-bordered eyes , ten powerful hands , hair in the form of black pearls , golden glow from her skin . Her face was sculpted by Shiva , torso by Indra , breasts by Chandra ( the moon ) , teeth by Brahma , bottom by the Earth , thighs and knees by Varuna ( wind ) , and her three eyes by Agni ( fire ) . Each god also gave her their own most powerful weapons , Rudra 's trident , Vishnu 's discus , Indra 's thunderbolt , Brahma 's kamandal , Kuber 's gada etc . Himalayas gifted her a fierce white tiger . On the end of the 8th & beginning of the 9th day of waxing moon , Chanda and Munda came to fight the goddess . She turned blue with anger and goddess Chamunda leaped out of her third eye . Her form was the most powerful one with 3 red eyes , blood-filled toungue and dark skin ; who finally killed the twin demons with her sword . This form of the divine goddess is worshipped during the sandhikshan of Durga Puja festival , as sandhi/chandi puja . Finally on the tenth day of waxing moon , goddess Durga killed Mahishasura with her trident . The word Shakti , meaning strength , reflects the warrior aspect of the goddess , embodying a traditional male role . But she is also strikingly beautiful , and initially Mahishasura tries to marry her . Other incarnations include Annapurna and Karunamayi ( karuna = kindness ) . The Worship of Durga The 4 day Durga Puja is the biggest annual festival in Bengal and other parts of Eastern India . But it is celebrated in various forms throughout the Hindu universe . The day of Durga 's victory is celebrated as Vijaya Dashami ( East and South India ) , Dashain ( Nepal ) or Dussehra ( North India ) - these words literally mean `` the tenth '' ( day ) , vijayA means `` of-victory '' . In Kashmir she is worshipped as shaarika ( the main temple is in Hari Parbat in Srinagar ) . The actual period of the worship however may be on the preceding nine days followed by the last day called Vijayadashami in North India or five days in Bengal , ( from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing-moon fortnight ) . Nine aspects of Durga known as Navadurga are meditated upon , one by one during the nine-day festival by devout shakti worshippers . In North India , this tenth day , signifying Rama 's victory in his battle against the demon Ravana , is celebrated as Dussehra - gigantic straw effigies of Ravana are burnt in designated open spaces ( e . g . Delhi 's Ram Lila grounds ) , watched by thousands of families and little children . In Gujarat it is celebrated as the last day of Navaratri , during which the Garba dance is performed to celebrate the vigorous victory of Mahishasura-mardini Durga . Goddess Durga is worshipped in many temples of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka . List of Durga temples in India Ambika Mata Temple in the village of Jagat near Mount Abu in Rajasthan , India . Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple , Kateel , Karnataka Sri Durga Temple , Kunjarugiri , Udupi Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple , Talapady . Mahishamardhini Temple , Kadiyali , Udupi Durga Temple , Mundkur . Kalighat Temple , Kolkatta . Kamakhya Temple , Guwahati , Assam . Kanaka Durga Temple , Vijayawada , Andhra Pradesh Sri Kanaka Durga Temple , Vijayawada , Andhra Pradesh Amba Bhavani Temple , Tuljapur , Maharashtra Shanta Durga temple in Goa See also Durga Puja Hindu Goddess Essentials Of Durga Puja Mundkur Durga Temple Shri Vindhyavasini temple , Vindhyachal Shri Bramarambika temple , Srisailam , Andhra Pradesh shri Maha Kaleshwari temple , UJJAIN , Madhya Pradesh Shri Jogulamba temple , Alampur , Kurnool district , Andhra Pradesh Shri gnanaPrasunaambika temple , Srikalahasti , Andhra Shri Siddha Peeth Durga Devi temple , Kasi/Varanasi , Uttar PRADESH Shri Mahishashuramardhini Temple , Thiruthani , Tamil Nadu Shri Maihar Devi , Maihar , Madhya Pradesh Shri Annapurna Devi Temple , Kashi/Varanasi , Uttar Pradesh Shri Vaishno devi , Katra , Jammu and Kashmir Further reading Durga Puja : Yesterday , Today and Tomorrow , Sudeshna Banerjee , Rupa and Co , Calcutta , 2004. ( ISBN 81-291-0547-0 ) Hindu Goddesses : Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions , David Kinsley. ( ISBN 81-208-0379-5 ) Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair  : Selected Poems to the Mother Goddess , Ramprasad Sen ( 1720-1781 ) . ( ISBN 0-934252-94-7 ) External links Celebrate Navaratri in its pure form . Durga - Narrative Art of an 'Independent ' Warrior Goddess Durgapuja 2006 in Calcutta Durga Puja in Cologne , Germany Navratri Festival Goddess Durga Festival ( N. India ) for 9 nights . Hindu Goddess Durga The Bengali Durga Puja experience Multimedia photos of thousands of pujas - including faraway places such as Helsinki , Auckland , or Lagos . Durga Puja - Lucid and detailed information on all relevant aspects of the festival Internet World Exposition 1996 , India , Durga Puja Frequently Asked Questions about Durga Goddess Durga Reflection of Shakti Swarupaparvati London Durga Puja 2006 Kolkata Durga Puja 2006 Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa Female Deities : Gayatri | Saraswati | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more ... Male Deities : Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Kartikeya | Hanuman | Lakshmana | Indra | Surya | more ... 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Durga ( Maa Durga ) दुर्गा Devi Victory Trident ( primary ) , Chakram , Scimitar , Snake , Conch shell , Mace , Bow , Longsword , Lotus , Thunderbolt lion दुर्गा দুর্গা 