Historical Roots of Goddess Durga at Someswara Temple in Mukhalingam

Visakhapatnam: Heritage researchers drew attention to the remarkable icon of the goddess Durga, who was preserved at the Someswara Temple in Mukharingam of Srikulam Zone. It is an archaeological treasure that reveals the deep historical roots of the Durga worship in the ancient Kalinga and the permanent resonance in today’s Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Mukharingam, also known as Srimukhalinga or mukhalinga, served as the capital of the Eastern Ganga dynasty from the 6th century to the 12th century AD and was historically respected. The treasure of art and culture, Someswara’s North Parsva Devata Niş, Buffalo Demon, is home to 10 armed mahisamardini Durga, a strong depiction of the goddess in the act of destroying Mahisasura.

Composition Dynamic: The goddess Durga strongly bites her raised right foot on the buffalo carcass and bite the demon’s leg while struggling to escape the lion assembly. 10 hands of the goddesses, a chakra symbolizing the united power of the gods, Shakti, Trident, swords and arrows drawn from trembling – carry a series of divine weapons.

A distinctive feature of the sculpture, the Nagapasa (Snake Loyar), which was organized in the lower left of the goddess Durga’s left, was tightly wrapped around Mahisasura’s neck, unlike the previous depictions they made in the demon. Other features include a broken spring bow, a rectangular shield connected to the forearm, a shell and a gada or elephant goad. The goddess Durga is an elegant braid that falls on the right contour of his head.

A second relief above the niche shows a Durga, a four -sleeved sitting with a partial left leg. Below, a rare sculpture describes the Söndamatrikas, who fought against the demon Raktabija. Chamunda, which is decorated with a skull with a wreath and uses a trident, pierces his back like the other matrix of the devil – Brahmi, Sivani, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi and Indrani. Each Matrika’s assemblies are carved precisely under the war scene in shallow niches reflecting a deep iconographic narrative tradition.

The fact that Söktamatrikas fought against Raktabija was discussed in the giant Bhagabata Purana as part of the department of the goddess Durga with Demon Mahisasura and the epic war.

The Mahisamardini statue in the Temple of Someswara is not only a temple architecture, but a vivid testimony to the tradition of the goddess that defines the sacred view of Kalinga. The iconographic richness shows how deeply the worship of the goddess Durga touches the spiritual identity of the region, Histine says Deepak Kumar Nayak, a history researcher.

While the modern Durga Puja celebrations inspired millions, the statue of Mahisamardini in Mukhalingam stands as a timeless bridge between myth and history, art and belief, and embodied the spirit of Kalinga’s permanent goddess Durga.