Chamunda - Painting by Shuvankar Biswas

Oil Painting on Canvas

The story behind the Hindu Goddess Chamunda –

Goddess Chamunda is an avatar of Goddess Parvati. There is a legend behind the name of Goddess Chamunda. The story of her name is described in Durga Saptashati (One of Hindu’s religious books).

According to Durga Saptashati, thousands of years ago the earth was ruled by two demons named Shumbh and Nishumbh. A lot of tyranny was done by them on earth and in heaven. As a result, gods and humans went to the Himalayas and worshiped Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. After some time when Goddess Parvati came to take a bath at Man Sarovar, she saw them worshipping God. When asked to find out the reason, she then revealed a virgin girl from her body to kill Shumbha Nishumbha, who was named Koshiki.

After sometime when the messengers of Shumbha and Nishumbha saw Koshiki and said to both of them, Lord, you are the king of the three worlds. You have all the priceless gems adorned here. Indra's Airavat elephant is also with you. For this reason, you should also have such a divine and attractive woman who is the most beautiful of all the three worlds. Hearing this word, Shumbha and Nishumbha sent a messenger to Goddess Koshiki and told that messenger that you should go and tell that beauty that Shumbha and Nishumbha are the kings of all the three worlds and they both want to make you their queen. Hearing this, the messenger went to Goddess Koshiki and narrated the words spoken by both demons to her. She said that I believe that both Shumbh and Nishumbh have great power. But I take a vow that I will marry the person who will defeat me in battle. The messenger told all these things to Shumbha and Nishumbha. So both of them got angry on hearing the words of Koshiki and said that this woman's audacity to challenge us for war. Then he sent two demons named Chand and Mund and said grab her hair and bring her to us. Chanda and Munda went to Goddess Koshiki and asked her to accompany them. When the goddess refused, they attacked the Goddess. Then Goddess Kaushiki took another form of her black form with her oblique forehead and killed Chand and Mund. Because of killing both of those demons, her name was Chamunda.