07th
December 2017.
The story
of Mahishamardini is very famous in Hindu mythology. The tenth day of Durga
pooja is being celebrated as Vijayadasami in a grand manner throughout India.
The legend of Mahishamardini goes like this.
Mahisha, a
demon, human body with a buffalo head, was born to the asura king Rambha and a female
buffalo called Syamala. Mahisha has the magical power of taking the form of a buffalo or a human according to his wish. After 1000 years of penance he got a
boon from Brahma that, he cannot be
killed by a man.
With his
magical powers, he conquered the earth and Deva Loka. Could not bear the torture
of Mahisha, Devas prayed to Lord Vishnu for a solution. The Trimurtis Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva created Goddess Durga with ten
arms. With weapons like Chakra, Trisul, arrows, scepter, axe, sword,
Kamandal, etc, given by Gods and Devas along with her Vahana Lion, Durga killed
Mahisha after 10 days of fierce fighting. Hence the tenth of Durga pooja is being
celebrated as Vijayadasami. Dussehra celebration is famous in the Mysore region
of Karnataka.
YELANDUR ( SRI GAURISVARA TEMPLE )
The tenth-day battle of Durga is chiseled as reliefs and statues. Durga is shown with 4,
8, and 10 arms holding various weapons. During our visit to Yelandur Sri
Gaurisvara temple, had seen a Durga Statue along with Shiva, Vishnu, and Veerabhadra inside the sanctum.
There is also
a Mahishamardini panel beautifully chiseled on the Mahadwara mandapa of 16th Century Vijayanagar Period. The facial
expression of Durga, the fear on the faces of Mahisha, and the asuras are
clearly shown. Though it may not be like the Mamallapuram panel, this is very
unique.
The trishul piercing through the head of Mahisha
The trishul
piercing through the head of Mahisha and the sword on the other asura
The arrow pierced through the bodies of two asuras and their facial expressions with fear
and pain.
Mahishamardini
statue with 4 hands
SOMANATHAPURA ( SRI CHENNAKESAVA TEMPLE )
This 13th Century Hoysala period soapstone Mahishamardini statue is a part of the 16-faced Janarthana shrine of Sri
Chennakesava Temple at Somanathapura, Karnataka. In this Mahishamardini is
shown with 8 hands and kills Mahisha with trisul. Mahisha’s intestine came out
of his stomach is also clearly shown. The Vahana lion is also doing its share
by killing an asura. The facial expressions of Durga and Asuras are beautifully
shown.
Mahishamardini with 8
hands
The Trisul pierced
through the stomach and the intestine of Mahisha, which came out.
Durga’s
Sword pierces through the body of a demon
The Lion also kills
an aura
---OM
SHIVAYA NAMA---
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