Durga as demon-slayer

India, Odisha (Orissa), Puri

Not on view

In this powerful depiction of the supreme goddess, produced by an artist trained in the Puri tradition (pattachitra), we see Durga represented as the all-powerful demon-slayer. Wielding an array of weapons in her ten arms, she stands astride her lion-mount and the buffalo carcass she has just slain. Mahisha emerges from the beast’s severed neck, revealing himself in human form. As appropriate to a moment envisaged by a Puri artist, steeped in the Orissan tradition, the setting is that of temple architecture in the distinctive style of the region.

Durga as demon-slayer, Ink and opaque watercolor on cotton, India, Odisha (Orissa), Puri

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