The Hindu deity Durga is regarded as the mother of all beings and is also believed to be the driving force behind creation, preservation and destruction. Her name originates from the Sanskrit word for 'the inaccessible' or the Bengali word for 'the unbeatable' and she is often called as 'Maa' or mother. She holds both destructive and creative power in her. She has many aspects of her being each of which is a representation of a different quality. Patience and valour are the two integral qualities of goddess Durga. Sometimes she is depicted as mother of Kartik, Lakshmi, Ganesha and Saraswati.
Durga being the warrior form of Shakti and therefore she was created to destroy the evil forces of an Asura named Mahishasura. The Earth, the heaven and the Paatala were being controlled by Mahishasura, the cruel king. He will be unbeatable by a man, was the boon he received from Brahma. Vishnu and Shiva were sought by the beings of these worlds and its then that a female warrior was formed by combining the energy of Shiva and Lord Vishnu.
After she had manifested herself she went down to fight with Mahishasura on the battleground. Upon fighting with her for the first time Mahishasura undervalued her because of the thought that it was impossible for a woman to defeat him. The battle went on for 10 days and Mahishasura took different forms, but at last was defeated and killed by goddess Durga. Thus victory over evil forces and darkness was achieved. It is believed that the dexterous goddess created an army to aid in her battle against the demon king's forces. When they won the battle, she honoured them for their services by imparting the knowledge of gold crafting and ornament making upon them.
She is normally depicted as having ten arms, each holding a different weapon. One arm is used to carry a lotus which is the symbol of source of growth. Her vehicle is shown to be a lion or a tiger, which symbolize fearlessness. She is considered to take different avtars with her power. She is known to be the form of Kali, the goddess of destruction.
Durga puja is one of the biggest celebrations of the eastern states of the country and is prominently observed in Orissa, Bengal, Assam and Bihar. Durga puja is called Dashain by people of Nepal. People celebrate this grand festival with at most joy and grandeur. The culmination of the battle when goddess Durga defeated Mahishasura is called Vijayadashami (Dussehra also).
Durga being the warrior form of Shakti and therefore she was created to destroy the evil forces of an Asura named Mahishasura. The Earth, the heaven and the Paatala were being controlled by Mahishasura, the cruel king. He will be unbeatable by a man, was the boon he received from Brahma. Vishnu and Shiva were sought by the beings of these worlds and its then that a female warrior was formed by combining the energy of Shiva and Lord Vishnu.
After she had manifested herself she went down to fight with Mahishasura on the battleground. Upon fighting with her for the first time Mahishasura undervalued her because of the thought that it was impossible for a woman to defeat him. The battle went on for 10 days and Mahishasura took different forms, but at last was defeated and killed by goddess Durga. Thus victory over evil forces and darkness was achieved. It is believed that the dexterous goddess created an army to aid in her battle against the demon king's forces. When they won the battle, she honoured them for their services by imparting the knowledge of gold crafting and ornament making upon them.
She is normally depicted as having ten arms, each holding a different weapon. One arm is used to carry a lotus which is the symbol of source of growth. Her vehicle is shown to be a lion or a tiger, which symbolize fearlessness. She is considered to take different avtars with her power. She is known to be the form of Kali, the goddess of destruction.
Durga puja is one of the biggest celebrations of the eastern states of the country and is prominently observed in Orissa, Bengal, Assam and Bihar. Durga puja is called Dashain by people of Nepal. People celebrate this grand festival with at most joy and grandeur. The culmination of the battle when goddess Durga defeated Mahishasura is called Vijayadashami (Dussehra also).
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