“Sarva Mangala Mangalye Sive Sarvartha Sadhike
Saranye Trayambike Gauri Narayani Namostute”

Believed as the root cause of creation, sustenance and annihilation, Durga is the principal form of the Mother Goddess in Hinduism. The name ‘Durga’ in Sanskrit means ‘invincible’. The syllable ‘du’ is synonymous with the 4 devils namely poverty, sufferings, famine and evil habits. The ‘r’ refers to diseases and the ‘ga’ is the destroyer of sins, injustice, irreligion, cruelty and laziness. The Hindu Goddess Durga is a unified symbol of all divine forces and is said to have manifested when evil forces threatened the very existence of the Gods. To destroy these demons, all Gods offered their radiance to her creation and each formed different parts of Durga’s body. She also obtained very powerful weapons, such as the Chakra from Lord Vishnu and the Trishul (trident) from Lord Shiva. Goddess Durga, hence, rose to power and killed the dangerous demon Mahish and all his great commanders. The Demonic forces are self-destructive but very powerful while the Divine forces are constructive but slow and efficient. When the Demonic forces create imbalance, all the Gods unite to one Divine force called Shakti or Durga or Mahishasurmardini, to abolish all evil.
Durga presents herself as the Mother of all the worlds taking care of the welfare of all the beings and accounting for their prosperity. To awaken the Goddess, the personification of the active side of the divine “shakti” energy of Lord Shiva, several Mantras are chanted throughout the year and specially during the Navaratri.

“Om karala-badanam ghoram mukta-keshim chatur-bhuryam.
kalikam dakshinam dibyam munda-mala bibhushitam
sadya-chinna shira kharga bama-dordha karambujam
abhayam baradan-chaiba dakshina-dardha panikam”
Kali, the divine Protector of Earth, also known as Kalika is a Hindu goddess . But due to her destructive powers Kali is also known as “Dark Mother”. The name Kali is derived from the Sanskrit word “Kala” or time. She, therefore, represents Time, Change, Power, Creation, Preservation and Destruction. “Kali” also mean “the black one”, the feminine noun of the Sanskrit adjective Kala.
She is considered as a ferocious form of Durga/Parvati, who is the consort of Lord Shiva. Kali Ma is simultaneously portrayed as the giver, the one who bestows moksha or liberation and destructor, principally of evil forces. However, in most of the interpretations she is portrayed as ferocious and evil. She is the mother of the world and the treasure-house of compassion. She is considered as the primordial mass from which all life arouse.
Kali is the first of the 10 Mahavidyas, or manifestations of the Great Goddess, or ultimate reality. She is often portrayed standing or dancing on her consort, the Hindu God Shiva, who lies calm and prostrate beneath her. Kali is worshipped by Hindus throughout India but particularly Bengal, Assam, Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, along with Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Kali is portrayed mostly in two forms: