Kashi's Ancient Durga Sculptures Trace Centuries of Devotion

Varanasi, also known as Kashi, is one of the world's oldest cities and has preserved sculptures of Goddess Durga as 'Mahishasur Mardini' since the 8th century. As devotees celebrate her triumph over the demon Mahishasura, a recent investigation has uncovered the oldest surviving image of Shakti in the city of Lord Vishwanath.

According to art historian Prof Maruti Nandan Tiwari, over a dozen depictions of Durga exist across the city's ghats, museums, and private collections. The earliest of these, found in Babhaniyav village near Rajatalab, dates back to the Pratihara period and reflects early Kushan art. This serene sculpture shows Durga slaying a buffalo-shaped demon, a testament to the long-standing tradition of mother worship in Kashi.

By the time of the writing of the Puranas, from the 5th to 15th century, different forms of the goddess, including the Nav Durga worshipped during Navratri, were conceived with various names and iconographic features. However, the Durga Mahishamardini form remained the most popular throughout the country, with detailed references to her embodiment of Mahashakti (supreme power) to kill the demon Mahishasura.