Durga
Dynasty : Chedi, Piparia, Madhya Pradesh
Period : Late Medieval 1000 CE
Material : Stone
Location : National Museum
Current Location : National Museum
Description :
Durga is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati, the daughter of Himavan, the lord of the mountains. She is the mother-goddess -- Shakti -- the power that runs the universe.Durga, identified as Adi Parashakti, is a principal and popular form of Hindu Goddess. She is the warrior goddess, whose mythology centres on combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity and dharma of the good. She is the fierce form of the protective mother goddess, willing to unleash her anger against wrong, violence for liberation and destruction to empower creation.
Chedi dynasty was an ancient Indian kingdom which fell roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna along the river Ken. Its capital city was called Suktimati in Sanskrit and Sotthivati-nagara in Pali.
Sixteen-armed Durga as Kshemankari seated at ease on a lotus issuing from the base. A lion as her vahana is shown on her either side. She wears a jatamukuta, necklace, sari etc. Her eleven hands are lost and in the five surviving hands, she holds a part of a mace, sword, bell and trident. With one hand she is taking out an arrow from the quiver and the front right hand is in varadamudra. She is nimbate. Two small female figures are seated on the lotuses and playing the vina are shown on her either side of the halo (defaced). On the top are shown two headless vidyadharas(celestial beings)carrying garlands. The figure of a donor and his wife are shown on the extreme ends.