INTRODUCTION: 
Durga also known as Adi Parashakti, is an incarnation of Mata Parvati Devi. She is the warrior goddess, who destroys the evils and safeguards the innocent ones, and maintains peace and prosperity in the world. Durga Devi shows motherly affection to her devotees, and blesses them and helps them to reach the spiritual world.
Durga Devi’s vehicle is a fierce tiger, and she carries various weapons on her hands and in one hand, she blesses us. She appears in the form of a beautiful lady, and wears ornaments in her neck, and she contains the powers of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati and is also a form of Kali Devi, who incarnated towards killing the demons, and safeguards the demi gods in the heaven. Her nine aspects are called as Navadurga.
She is the main deity in the Shaktism and her greatness, kindness and importance was mentioned in Devi Mahatmya, a great puranic text of Parvati Devi. Durga devi is worshiped throughout India, Bangladesh and Nepal, and she is specially worshiped during the Navratri festival, and Durga puja would be performed in Durga Temples.
By reciting her slokas and going to her temples, and performing puja in the temple as well as in our home will bring better prospects in our life. Durga, is mentioned in ancient epics, in puranas and in Mahabharata.
She killed the demon king Mahishasura, and also had given SALVATION to him. She is such a merciful, kind and affectionate mother!
The day of Durga's victory over the destroying of the demons is celebrated as Vijayadashami. She is also mentioned in the Buddhist, Jainism and Sikhism texts.
FAMOUS TEMPLES
1. Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada.
2. Kanaka Durga Temple in Chennai.
3. Maa Durga Mandir, Kolkata, West Bengal.
4. Shri Durga Mata Mandir, New Delhi.
5. Durga Mata Mandir, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
6. Shri Durga Devi Temple, Kozhikode, Kerala
7. Shri Durga Devi Temple, Ernakulam, Kerala.
8. Shri Durga Mata Mandir, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
9. Durga Mata Temple, Jaipur, Rajasthan.
IMPORTANCE
By worshiping Durga Mata, we will get great energy in our mind and in our body and can reach the top of the ladder in our life. It is advisable to worship her in the temples meant for her, and perform puja and abhishekham to her and can offers flowers, fruits and food items as naivedyam. She can be worshiped even from our heart, and she knows our each and every calling, even without calling her name. She got the power to understand the things stored in our mind, and will sufficiently do favors to us.
Let us worship the holy mother and be blessed.
“OM SREE DURGA DEVIYE NAMAHA”
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”
SENT BY
R.HARISHANKAR
