ARTicle
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| "Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon (Mahishasuramardini)", Angkor period, 10th century, Cambodia. Sandstone, 26 7/16 x 15 3/16 x 8 1/4 in. |
CHICAGO---Girl power! This multi-armed figure represents the fierce Hindu goddess Durga, whose name means "the invincible." The wicked demon Mahishasura had unleashed a reign of terror, and none of the gods could defeat him as Brahma had rendered Mahishasura impervious to destruction at the hands of a male. Shiva, Vishnu, and all the male gods combined their energy into one force, from which the goddess Durga emerged. As the female warrior aspect of the supreme godhead, Durga was not subject to Mahishasura's power and cut off his head with her sword. Find this sculpture of the
Goddess Durga in Gallery
142 at the Art Institute of Chicago. [
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