Mahishasur Mardini

Durga, the eternal goddess is the embodiment of feminine and creative energy (Shakti). Durga, the warrior goddess, is depicted in Hindu literature as a warrior woman with 10 arms who rides a lion or a tiger, carries weapons and assumes various mudras, or symbolic hand gestures.

According to the ancient literatures like the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana, Ma Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight a demon. As the story goes, Rambha, king of the demons, once fell in love with a water buffalo, and Mahish Asur (literally translated as the The Buffallo Demon; Mahish means Buffallo in Sanskrit) was born out of this union. This demon, the Mahishasur was able to change form between human and buffalo at will . Through intense penance and offering of prayers to Brahma, the Creator, Mahishasur was granted his boon that he could not be defeated or killed by any man or god. Protected by the powers of the boon, he unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether worlds.Durga, incarnation of Shakti, was brought in this world to slay The Buffallo Demon "Mahishasur". She was created out of the energy of the consorts of the Holy Trinity and had power to kill Demon"Mahishasur". And finally she killed Mahishasur with her trident, and was known as "Mahishasur Mardini", or Mahishasur slayer.