The Demon-Slaying Goddess of Hinduism
In Hindu tradition, Durga is a goddess brought into being by gathering the powers of all the gods, riding a lion or tiger, her many arms each bearing a weapon gifted by a different deity, created expressly to slay a demon that neither mortal heroes nor the gods could defeat. Her most famous deed is the defeat of the buffalo demon Mahishasura, still commemorated in many parts of India with the grand "Durga Puja" festival, whose celebrations are largest of all in West Bengal.
Hindu tradition records that the demon Mahishasura, through austerities, won the boon of being unkillable "by any male god or mortal," and grew ever more rampant, the gods helpless; so they gathered their weapons and powers into one and brought forth Durga. Riding a tiger into battle, Durga fought for nine days and nights and on the tenth slew Mahishasura — a victory seen as a classic symbol of "good triumphing over evil."
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
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