Mahisasuramardini In Art, Iconography and Cult Practices

Saktism, the concept of Śakti, the source of all energies of the Universe plays a vital role in the socio-religious tradition of India since the dawn of human civilization. Mahiṣāsuramardinī, the Divine Mother is one of the manifestations of Śakti. 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, highlighting the evolving iconography of individual images with special reference to the Śilpa and Tantric Texts. He focuses