Durga
The name of the Hindu goddess Durga, the Inaccessible, says something about her nature. Durga was a new creation from the energy of all the other gods, who had been dispelled throughout the world by demons. To defeat them, the gods produced an invincible weapon in the form of a goddess who received a power from each of them. Durga entered into combat with the demons. She is often portrayed together with demon king Mahishasura, who appears as a buffalo.
In the Indian subcontinent, Durga is depicted at the moment that she slays the animal. Her name is then Durga Mahishasuramardini, ‘Durga the buffalo demon slayer.’ Another variant of the deity is found on Java; there, she is the mistress of the demons and with her fierce tusks she seems much more dangerous than Durga Mahishasuramardini.
