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The Goddess Durga Slaying the Demon Buffalo Mahisha

12th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 238
Functioning as an altar shrine, complete with a lustration basin, this icon depicts the goddess Durga in the act of conquering the demon buffalo Mahisha. Durga crushes the beast with her foot and impales him with her trident, whereupon the demon reveals himself in human form and pleads for mercy. In each of her eight arms, Durga holds a weapon lent to her by the male gods expressly for this task.

This shrine, with its distinctive temple towers, evokes the architecture of Himachal Pradesh, as does the lotus-petal nimbus framing the goddess’s head, a motif specific to imagery of the Chamba Valley region.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Goddess Durga Slaying the Demon Buffalo Mahisha
  • Date: 12th century
  • Culture: India (Himachal Pradesh, probably Chamba Valley)
  • Medium: Brass
  • Dimensions: H. 22 1/2 in. (57.2 cm); W. 13 in. (33 cm); D. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Funds from various donors, 2008
  • Object Number: 2008.271
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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