Aayu Publications

Mahiṣāsuramardinī is one of the manifestations of Śakti. She is the most ferocious and popular goddess of the Hindu pantheon. As a war-goddess her primary function is to combat Mahiṣāsura, a notorious demon. She is therefore given the appellation of Mahiṣāsuramardinī. She is the most impressive and formidable goddess of the Hindu pantheon. The cult of Mahiṣāsuramardinī is of considerable antiquity. Its genesis can be traced from the Vedic literature. The Mahabharat and the Purāṇas have provided varied but vivid accounts of the origin of the goddess. The author besides emphasizing on the descriptions of the deity as per the Puranic texts, has also discussed the emergence and representation of the goddess who has occupied a prominent place in the sculptural history of India through the ages. Here the author presents a rich and variegated picture of the Mahiṣāsuramardinī art of Orissa and of India highlighting the evolving iconography of individual images with special reference to the Śilpa and Tantric Texts. He focuses on different forms and depictions of the goddess. In this work the generalization and characteristics have been drawn on the basis of religious, cultural and iconographic studies. The book also incorporates mythology, historical development, the emergence of Mahiṣāsuramardinī in religious traditions beyond Hindu pantheon along with the elements of art and aesthetic in Mahiṣāsuramardinī images. The work abounds in photographs revealing the variety forms of the goddess and provides many maps, diagrams and iconographical charts which will create interest not only for the scholars of archeology, history and religion but also for the historians of art as well.