Mahisasuramardini In Art, Iconography and Cult Practice

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Saktism, the concept of Sakti, the source of all energies of the Universe plays a vital role in the socio-religious tradition of India since the dawn of human civilization. Mahiṣāsuramardini, the Divine Mother is one of the manifestations of Sakti. She is the most impressive and formidable goddess of the Hindu pantheon. The cult of Mahiṣāsuramardini is of considerable antiquity. Its genesis can be traced from the Vedic literature. The Mahabharat and the Puranas have provided varied but vivid accounts of the origin of the goddess. The author besides emphasizing on the descriptions of the deity as per the Puranic texts, has also discussed the emergence and representation of the goddess who has occupied a prominent place in the sculptural history of India through the ages.

Dr. Sanjaya Kumar Mahapatra (born 1963) who is an ardent devotee of Female Divinity, has devoted two decades of his illustrious career to the study of Archaeology, History and Culture of the state of Odisha. Presently he is working as the Principal and the Departmental Head of History in Janata College, Kuhuri, Dist-Khurda (Odisha). For his excellence he has been conferred upon the titles such as Rastriya Gaurava Award by the India International Friendship Society, Delhi and also "Jyotishavidya Bachaspati" by the Astrological Foundation, Dinalipi, Berhampur (Odisha) and is also felicitated as educationist by Sri Sashi Bhusana Behera, the honourable M.P on behalf of Ramadaya Parishad, Nirakarpur, Khurda, Odisha.

Saktism, the concept of Sakti, the source of all energies of the Universe plays a vital role in the religious tradition of India since the dawn of human civilization. Originated from the primitive mother goddess cult prevalent among the aboriginal society, Saktism gradually assimilated various heterogeneous traits and finally emerged as an independent religious thought forming a significant aspect of mainspring of Indian religious system. Unlike other religious sects, Saktism has a continuous and colourful history of its own. Although Saktism crept into other religions as the energizing power of male divinities, it has close affinity to Saivism and has conceptualized that the procreation is possible only through the union of Śiva with Sakti.

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