Dhumavati/ Matangi

Dhumavati and Matangi are two of the ten Mahavidyas or great manifestations of Devi (deified aspects of the goddess that range from pacific to ferocious).

The labeled image of Dhumavati to the left is shown as an aged widow with unbound hair who holds a winnowing frame. Multiple crows are perched on the carriage she rides, which clearly reference her vahana (vehicle) as more typically she rides a crow. Dhumavati (literally “the smoky one” in Sanskrit) manifests cosmic dissolution and is associated with inauspicious and unattractive things. Still she is a deity who is credited with rescuing one from troubles or aiding the defeat of foes.

The labeled Mahavidya Matangi on the right takes the form of a beautiful woman who holds a goad, sword, club and noose. A tambura sits at her feet, an attribute that alludes to her position as the tantric form of Sarasvati, the goddess of learning and knowledge who shares this attribute. Matangi is a ferocious deity who enables her followers to control their enemies, acquire mastery in the arts and to gain knowledge. This goddess is associated with pollution and is described as an outcaste. Her unbound hair hints at these aspects. For this reason, in ritual, she is offered impure, leftover, partially-eaten food with unwashed hands.