Dharma restored.
Vijayadashami Greetings to All.
Vijayadashami celebrates the vanquishment of Mahishasura by Goddess Durga whence Her epithet Mahishasuramardini.
Durga in Her form as Mahishasuramardini remains an enduring source of strength and inspiration to the Indian imagination, a wellspring for artists, bards, musicians, and sculptors.
Goa has for long been a stronghold of the Shakti tradition. Images from antiquity of Mahishasuramardini dot the land – in shrines, forest groves, and meadows. Mahishasuramardini is especially dominant in South India – many extraordinary treasures of ancient India are found in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (third photo below).
The second photo from Shel-Melauli, a village adjoining River Mhadei, shows the Goddess riding in a boat. It is an illustration of local geography influencing the imagination and iconography of the Divine. The holdings of Goa State Museum include exquisite old sculptures of the Goddess.
The post concludes with a rendition of the Mahishasuramardini stotram.