“Kankali-devi” by Rajendra Shyam. Acrylic on paper.
She is called Kansa-kali or Kankali-devi, because Kansa worshipped her.This is the same eight-armed Durga Devi who rides a lion, that Kansa wanted to kill thinking her to be the daughter of Devki But the goddess escaped from his hands and ascended into the sky
According to Wikipedia:
Durga (Hindustani pronunciation: [ˈd̪ʊrɡaː], Sanskrit: दुर्गा Durgā “Invincible”[1]) is the principle form of the Goddess, also known as Devi and Shakti in Hinduism.[2] Durga the mahashakti, the form and formless, is the root cause of creation, preservation and annihilation. According to legend, Durga (Parvati) Manifested herself for the slaying of the buffalo demon Mahisasura from Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the lesser gods, who were otherwise powerless to overcome him. She is pure Shakti, having manifested herself within the gods so that she may fulfil the tasks of the universe via them. At times of distress, such as the mahishasura episode, to protect the universe she manifests herself via the gods.
