11 hrs ago
Bengal Temples Preserve Durga’s 12- to 18-Armed Forms
Most people know Durga as a goddess with ten arms.
In some old temples in western West Bengal, she is shown with 12, 16 or 18 arms.
These idols are connected to old religious texts and family traditions.
The Jhareswar Nath Temple and Radha Damodar Temple have especially notable 18-armed idols.
The Mrinmoyee Temple in Bishnupur is linked to a Durga Puja tradition said to date back to 997 AD.
These unusual forms are called names such as Mahalakshmi Chandi or Raj Rajeshwari.
Researchers say the tradition survived because of strong Shakta and Tantric influences in the region.
Some modern clubs are now bringing the multi-armed forms back into public celebrations.
Centuries-old temples and aristocratic family estates in western West Bengal worship Durga with 12, 16 or 18 arms.
The 18-armed form appears at the Jhareswar Nath Temple in Paschim Medinipur and the Radha Damodar Temple in Purba Medinipur.
Bankura’s 1,029-year-old Mrinmoyee Temple in Bishnupur is associated with a Durga Puja tradition dating to 997 AD.
Family scriptures in areas including Joypur, Patpur, Onda, Chhatna, Chandrakona and Katwa prescribe 16- or 18-armed Durga forms.
Researchers link the tradition to Shakta scriptures and Tantric influences, while modern clubs are commissioning similar idols in several towns.
- Who
- Temple priests, aristocratic families, researchers and modern community clubs are involved in preserving or reviving the multi-armed Durga tradition.
- What
- Temples and family pujas in western West Bengal continue to worship Durga idols with 12, 16 or 18 arms instead of the more common ten-armed form.
- Where
- The tradition is found mainly in Bankura, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Bardhaman in West Bengal.
- When
- The surviving temple art dates mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries, while the Mrinmoyee Temple tradition is said to date to 997 AD.
- Why
- The practice continues because of Shakta scriptures, ancestral family manuscripts and strong Tantric influences in Rarh Bengal.
Key facts
- Common form
- The ten-armed Dashabhuja form remains the standard representation of Goddess Durga.
- Multi-armed forms
- Regional traditions include 12-, 16- and 18-armed Durga idols.
- Notable 18-armed sites
- Jhareswar Nath Temple at Kanasole and Radha Damodar Temple at Mangloi.
- Oldest cited tradition
- The Mrinmoyee Temple in Bishnupur is described as 1,029 years old, with worship dating to 997 AD.
- Religious sources
- The Markandeya Purana and Kalika Purana describe 12-, 16- and 18-armed forms of Durga.
- Regional name
- The 18-armed form is associated with Mahalakshmi or Raj Rajeshwari.
- Modern revival
- Clubs in Bankura, Kharagpur and Purba Bardhaman are commissioning multi-armed idols.
Quotes
Sukumar Banerjee
Regional history researcher in Bankura
“Durga is described as Dwadasabhuja (12 hands), Shorashabhuja (16 hands) and Ashtadashabhuja (18 hands). The 18-armed form is Mahalakshmi or Raj Rajeshwari, holding Trishul, Khadga, Chakra, Shankha, bow and arrow, Vajra and other weapons.”
thestatesman.com
“These are not recent creations but temple art from the 18th and 19th centuries, preserved on the walls of Shiva temples built during the Malla and Bhan eras”
thestatesman.com
Sources
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