Goddess Durhga is known as a divine feminine power or Shakti. She is believed to be created as a warrior goddess by Lord Vishnu to fight the demon Mahishasur and offer protect the Devas (good people). She uses her positive and divine force to combat wickedness and evil. She safeguards and protects her devotees from evil and negative forces. Goddess Durgha is worshipped in her 9 forms during the Navratri festival around harvesting time in India. Garba-raas and dandiya celebrations during Navratri are common in Gujarat. She is believed to be the combined forces of the three goddesses Saraswati, Kali and Lakshmi.
Her combined energies are found in her divine Shakti in the form of mudras, emblems and weapons which she uses to eliminate vices and negative energies like hatred, arrogance, greed, jealously, selfishness, anger and prejudice and preserve righteousness and moral order in the universe. Durgha is a Sanskrit word meaning a protected place or fort that is difficult to reach.
Conch, bow and arrow, lotus flower, club, trident or the trishul while her upper right hand symbolizes righteousness or dharma and fourth lower hand symbolizes courage. She is depicted as riding a tiger or lion. Her riding a tiger signifies that she has unlimited power which she utilizes to destroy evil and protect virtue. The goddess sitting on the tiger or lion reminds that vices cannot control anyone but can be under control. ‘Om Sri Durgaya Namah’ is an easy and simple mantra chanted in her name to remove wordly, mental and physical problems in life after which she showers her unlimited blessings.
