|| Namo deyai mahadevyai sivayai satatam namah
Namah prakrtyai bhadrayai niyatah pranatah sma tam ||

“We bow to the Goddess, to the Great Goddess, to the Energy of Infinite Goodness at all times we bow. We bow to Nature, to the Excellent One, with discipline we have bowed down.”


Goddess Durga also known as Parvati, is not only the consort of Lord Shiva but his underlying Shakti (energy). She exists in various forms both friendly and fearful, with countless names, representing her many personalities and various facets. Goddess Durga is the energy behind creation and showers her Motherly love on all her devotees. She is worshipped all over the world, by thousands of devotees known as Shaktas, of which the majority give her more significance than they do Shiva.

 

Parvati was first born as Sati, the daughter of Daksha, one of the predecessors of mankind. She had chosen to marry Shiva which her father was not pleased about. Nevertheless the wedding was celebrated with great pomp. A few years later Daksha was performing a Mahayagna to which he invited all the Gods except his own son-in-law Shiva. When Sati came to hear about her father’s yagna she was overcome with the joy of seeing her family and so she strongly pleaded with her husband to allow her to go. Shiva did not think it proper to go as they were not invited, but allowed Sati to attend. Once she had arrived, she could not bear the insults hurled towards her and so immolated herself in the sacrificial fire. Shiva became furious at the outcome of events and created a destructive force known as Veerbadhra to destroy the yagna. Full of anger and grief Shiva picked up Sati’s body and begun the dance of destruction which began to annihilate the whole universe. Lord Vishnu then with his discuss cut through the corpse and scattered her remains throughout the land of India. These sites are known as the Shakti Peethams.

Sati was reborn again as Parvati or Gauri, the daughter of Himavat and after rigorous penance married Shiva. To this couple were born two sons Skanda (also known as Kartikey) and Ganesh. Parvati is thus said to have the charming, caring personality and is adorned by married woman for a happy married life. Before marriage Parvati was known as Gauri. She represents the principles of purity and austerity, as she had undergone severe penance to please Shiva. Sita the consort of Lord Rama and Rukmini wife of Krishna both worshipped Gauri to fulfil their desires to marry their husbands. It is a very popular practice today for young girls to worship Gauri to seek her blessings in order to get virtuous husbands, just as she had once found hers.

Maa Durga is considered as the fierce but powerful form of the Devi, alongside Maa Kali. In Sanskrit, Durga means “She who is incomprehensible or difficult to reach”. The Shiva Purana narrates the fabulous story of how she came to slay a demon named Mahishasura, and hence she was named Durga as she never let her defences down against the demons. During the nine nights of Navratri, Durga took on nine different forms to kill the demon Mahishasura. Each of the goddesses are worshipped on each of the nine nights for the destruction of evil and the preservation of Dharma.


Goddess Durga