a symbol for women today
Maa Durga: The Blueprint for the Divine Feminine
by Ayushi Upadhyay
As a lazy September blows over, the otherwise slumberous city of Kolkata is set alight by the rhythm of dhols and the smell of Night-flowering Jasmine, more commonly called shiuli flowers, in preparation of the arrival of Maa Durga. A powerful goddess symbolizing strength, protection, and the triumph of good over evil. Maa Durga is depicted with ten hands, each wielding a new weapon, and often riding a lion or tiger and slaying the demon Mahishasura.
Photo: Pexels
Her symbol as a mother, protector, and warrior reminds us that there needs to be a new chapter in the foundational stories of feminism in India. These stories need to be reread and revisited, now more than ever before. With heinous crimes on the rise in India, and specifically in Kolkata, it is crucial to remember the hipocrisy that belongs in the hands that adorn the feet of Maa Durga also being capable of outraging a woman’s modesty.
Day zero of Durga Puja (worship) begins with a 3-hour long radio-show called the Mahalaya (“the great abode”). It recounts the story of Maa Durga defeating Mahishasura and is perhaps the most iconic of all her stories. The demon king Mahishasura, blessed with a boon that made him nearly invincible to men, wreaked havoc on the heavens and the earth. Unable to defeat him, the gods united their divine weapons and power of creation to create Durga – the ultimate warrior goddess.
Finding a loophole in the boon given to Mahishasura (who had requested being invincible to only men, not women) , the gods had created a woman who would cause his demise. Underestimated and ridiculed, yet armed with weapons gifted by the gods and riding her lion, Durga fought Mahishasura for nine days and nights, ultimately defeating, but not killing him. Cultural depictions show a Mahishasura at the feet of Durga, looking up at her with folded hands in worship; Durga is on her lion with her children beside her.
This story speaks to a resilience against systematic sexism and the necessity of confronting such oppression. In Mahishasura, one can see the metaphor for patriarchal dominance and ego, as well as overconfidence in the reigning nature of patriarchy. In Durga’s courage, the promise of empowerment and victory. Durga is no a secondary figure; she is the divine solution that triumphed when even the mightiest gods faltered. Her victory reminds us that resilience is a feminist virtue – it is a call to channel our inner strength and challenge injustice, no matter how insurmountable it may seem.
This story finds its manifestation in the struggles woman face today – whether this is workplace inequality, honor killings, or cultural societal norms that seek to silence them. Durga’s story inspires us to believe in our power to fight back.
In another tale, Maa Durga reveals herself as Mahadevi (“the supreme goddess”). When the brothers Shumbha and Nishumbha (demons) demand that she marry them, Durga responds by challenging their arrogance with an act never before performed by a goddess. As the battle begins, she transforms into multiple forms of herself (Kali, Chandi, and others), each representing an aspect of her divine emotional complexity (anger, mercy, strength, etc.).
Together, her forms annihilate the demons, proving that her strength lies not only in her power but in her ability to unify diverse facets of herself.
Photo: GabiMedia, DeviantArt
This story speaks to the contemporary woman’s need to have within her, a multifaceted identity. Durga is a warrior, a nurturer, a creator, and a destroyer all in one. She embodies the idea that femininity is not monolithic or one-dimensional and that women can exist in many forms without being confined to a single role. This is not limited to the roles they play in society, but also in an emotional sense – a woman can hold both logic and feeling in harmony and doing only strengthens her power to lead.
The association of femininity with allowing solely one’s emotions to control their actions have been debunked since the days of mythology, with Maa Durga’s approach to crises being driven by her wrath and power, but tactically, along with her assuming the simultaneous roles of woman, mother, wife, friend, and Goddess.
In today’s world, where women juggle careers, family, activism, and personal growth, Durga’s multiplicity feels especially relevant. Her mythology is a feminist manifesto for the ages. Her defiance of patriarchal structures, her assertion of independence, and her celebration of complexity resonate in the #MeToo era, where women around the world are reclaiming their voices. Her stories encourage us to recognize and honor women’s power, whether in the boardroom, at home, or on the front lines of activism. Kolkata is burning in the flames of the recent rape case in the RG Kar hospital and it raises questions on what we have taken away from such rich cultural tapestries that possess such richness in feminist teachings and ideologies.
Do we truly want to honor Maa Durga and the powerful embodiment of feminine identity – an identity that demands respect, recognition, and equal rights – she represents? Or is Durga Puja only celebrated for the sake of upholding traditions with no intentions of learning from them?
In Bengal, the annual Durga Puja celebration is more than just a religious festival; it is a cultural acknowledgment of the strength, compassion, and courage inherent in women. As societal conversations around gender equity evolve, Durga reminds us that the fight for equality is divine – and that the strength to win it resides within.
Header Photo: Foundmyself