Bronze sculpture of Durga slaying Mahishasura demon in rare design. A masterpiece in bronze, this is a sculpture of Goddess Durga as Mahishmardini (one who slew the buffalo-demon). This is a popular subject in almost all art forms throughout India. Durga as Mahishamardini is highly revered by the Shaktas (worshippers of Goddess as Shakti or primeval power). <br> <br>The story of Devi ’s duel with Mahishasura is narrated in Devi Mahatmya, which itself is a part of Markandeya Purana (one of the 18 Puranas) that glorifies Devi (Mother Goddess). Mahishasura was a demon born of a buffalo and demon Rambh. He, therefore, inherited traits of the asura (demon) and mahisha (buffalo). Mahishasura was powerful, stubborn, and very foolish. <br> <br>He propitiated Brahma (one who manifests the world) with his severe penance and obtained a boon that no one but a woman may kill him. He then started harassing the gods and other beings. None could confront him including even Lord Shiva and Vishnu. The goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati, though women would not fight Mahisha since they felt severely repulsed by this very ugly and terrible being. <br> <br>Finally, once when all the devas (gods) headed by Indra (king of gods) approached Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) and implored them, the three Lords suddenly got very angry seeing their plight. Looking at them devas too felt angry remembering the atrocities of Mahisha. <br> <br>A glow emerged from each of their angry faces and combined into one huge brilliant light. This light then took shape of an excessively beautiful, radiant woman with many arms. She was Durga Adi Shakti, the primeval power that had manifested to slay Mahisha. <br> <br>Thereafter every god blessed Durga with the best of his own powers and she acquired dress, ornaments and weapons that were infused with divinity. She then challenged Mahisha to a duel that lasted for nine days and Mahisha was killed on the tenth. <br> <br>This beautiful bronze statue arrest the moment when Mahisha charged towards Devi in the form of a bull and when Devi severed its head, he emerged from bull ’s body in human form and continued to attack her. Devi had leapt and climbed on Mahisha and holding him with his hair pierced his chest with trishula (trident). <br> <br>Devi is seen standing with one leg on her lion mount and other on Mahisha, whose bull-head she had just severed. She bears khadga (sword), shakti (thunderbolt), damaru (hourglass drum) and trishula (trident) in her right hands and khetaka (shield), chaapa (bow), ghanta (bell) in her left three hands and fourth holds Mahisha ’s hair. <br> <br>The sculpture is framed in a beautiful Prabhawali (arch surrounding South Indian sculptures) complete with two Yalis (Yali is a Puranic being that is hybrid of multiple animals) on either side at its base and a Kirtimukha (a demon who Shiva blessed with a position higher than any deity after he consumed his own body when asked so by Shiva) at the top.
