Durga (Sanskrit: दुर्गा, IAST: Durgā) is a major deity in Hinduism
She is worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Devi and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities
She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction and wars
Her legend centres around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity, and Dharma the power of good over evil
Durga is believed to unleash her divine wrath against the wicked for the liberation of the oppressed, and entails destruction to empower creation
Historians of religion and art tend to trace the earliest depiction of Durga to the seals of Indus Valley Civilization
However, this claim lacks direct visual evidence from the site
There are several hints to her in the early Vedic texts and by the time of the epics, she emerges as an independent deity
According to Hindu legends, Durga is created by the gods to defeat the demon Mahishasura, who could be only killed by a female
Durga is seen as a motherly figure and often depicted as a beautiful woman, riding a lion or tiger, with many arms each carrying a weapon and often defeating demons
She is widely worshipped by the followers of the goddess centric sect, Shaktism, and has importance in other denominations like Shaivism and Vaishnavism
Under these traditions, Durga is associated and identified with other deities
There are many devotees of Goddess Durga who recite Saptashloki Durga Saptashati to seek her blessings
The two most important texts of Shaktism, Devi Mahatmya and Devi-Bhagavata Purana, reveres Devi or Shakti (goddess) as the primordial creator of the universe and the Brahman (ultimate truth and reality)
While all major texts of Hinduism mention and revere the goddess, these two texts center around her as the primary divinity
The Devi Mahatmya is considered to be as important a scripture as the Bhagavad Gita by the Shakta Hindus
Durga has a significant following all over India, Bangladesh and Nepal, particularly in its eastern states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam and Bihar
Durga is revered after spring and autumn harvests, specially during the festivals of Durga Puja and Navratri