Nandini is the female Hindu goddess also called as Nandni Mata. Her name is written as Nandni which means daughter and is another name for Goddess Durga. The other meanings of Goddess Nandini are ‘a delightful goddess’, ‘the bestower of joy’, ‘Goddess Durga’, ‘a holy cow’ and ‘Ganga’.
In the Dvapara Yuga, she was Yashoda’s daughter, as per ancient Hindu epics. Kamsa was the one who killed her. People worship Goddess Nandini during the Navratri festival. A famous temple called the Nandni Mata temple is dedicated in the name of this goddess in Rajasthan at Banswara, located near Barodiya town.
In the Vagadi language, she is called Nandore. She is called the Mahakali Pavagadh in Vagad, Gujarat. Buddhists, Jains and Hindu, revere her equally in the Vagad. Her name appears in the 11th chapter of the Durga Saptami book and also in many Vedic hymns.
Nandini is derived from the verbal root ‘nand’, in the Sanskrit language. Nandini means ‘delight’, ‘to rejoice’, ‘a woman that brings happiness’. The term Nandini also means daughter, as joy is brought into the family by a daughter. Nandini is also the name used to address Goddess Parvati. Goddess Parvati had Ashtanayika, the 8 eternal companions, who are also referred to as Nandini.
Traces of goddess Nandini’s worship are seen right from the time period of the Indus Valley Civilization. She has found her place in the hearts of many devotees as a popular folk goddess.
