Being the deity of the cosmic fort (Durg) she called goddess Durga. Mother Durga is the embodiment of the divine energy and the creative power. According to the ancient scriptures Mother Durga has nine forms or dimensions as under;

SHAILPUTRI (The Daughter of Stone)

The first day of Navratra (The nine holy nights) is dedicated to the worship of Shailputri. Goddess Durga’s first form in the Nava-Durga series of divine forms, amongst the nine, is Shailaputri. She was nomenclatured as Shailaputri after being born in the house of the king of the mountains, Himalaya. In this mold the mother is seen holding a trident in her right hand and a lotus in her left and she is mounted on an ox. In the past life she was the daughter of Daksha, the son of Lord Brahma. She was known as Sati then. As the daughter of Daksha she was married to the God of Gods, Mahadeva. amongst all the nine forms of Devi Durga, Shailaputri is the most powerful and glorified of all. According to the Upanishads this form of Durga broke the pride of the Gods by assuming the mold of Haimabati.

BRAHMACHARINI (Penance Doer)

This form of Durga is worshiped in the second day of the Durga puja. Durga’s second appearance is in the form of Brahmacharini. Here “Brahma” means meditation. That is, the Goddess is the meditator or a practitioner of penance. She is seen here holding a string of rosary beads in her right hand and a Kamandalu (an urn containing holy water) in her left hand. In her previous life, when she was reborn as the daughter of Himalaya, she performed severe penance to have Mahadeva as her husband. The sage God Narada advised her to take up meditation to win Shiva. For undergoing strict meditation she was known as Brahmacharini or Tapasyacharini. This form of Durga gives the devotees everlasting success. Worship of this appearance enriches the faculties of sacrifice, honesty and self-discipline. In times of utter distress the worship of this form gives success and the willpower to come out victorious.

CHANDRAGHANTA  (Lunargong)

Mother Durga’s third form is known as Chandraghanta. This name finds its justification in the half moon seen on the temple of the Goddess that resembles a bell. The deity has ten arms. The ten hands of the Goddess brandish ten different weapons. Mounted on a lion this form of the mother is worshiped on the third day of the Navratri celebration. It is believed that a devotee who manages to earn the devi’s blessings can set himself free from his sins and hazards that he has committed or may face in his life. The devotee gains the power to sense the supernatural, to see it and even smell the eternal fragrance. He is also able to distinguish the otherwise inaudible celestial sounds.