Cult of Varahi in Orissa

Orissa Review September - 2009 Cult of Varahi in Orissa Dr. H.C.Das Varahi, one of the Mother Goddesses, a legends of Matrikas' origin, their iconographic manifestation of 64 Yoginis and the counterpart features, and their role in the religious life. These of Varaha-Vishnu was created to annihilate the Puranas record the names of numerous powerful demons like Chanda, Munda, Sumbha, Matrikas. But the seven mothers have been Nisumbha, Raktavirjya accepted universally, and the tripuravijayi supported by the Mahisasura. The goddess iconographic texts. Varahi associated with the The antiquity of the other mothers-Brahmani, worship of the mother Maheswari, Koumari, goddess is traced from Vaisnavi, Indrani and the Indus Valley Chamunda assisted Civilization (flourished in Ambika in her combat 4th/3rd millennium B.C). against the demons. Since In fact, the worship of Siva she is linked with other and Sakti in the Indus mother goddesses, her Civilization is proved by origin is also associated the archaeological with them. Worship of the treasures unearthed from goddess in her individual excavations at Harappa form has been prevalent in and Mohenjodaro. While Orissa and other parts of speaking about the religion India. of the Indus people, Sir Similar to other Varahi, Samlei Temple, Sonepur John Marshall (the famous gods and goddesses of the archaeologist and the Hindu pantheon her origin is traced from the excavator of the sites) remarks that Sakti worship Puranas, the last great authority of Indian religion. was of great antiquity in India; it originated out of The Skanda, Markandeya, Matsya, Devi, the mother goddess and was closely connected Brahmavaivarta, Devi Bhagabata, Varaha and with the cult of Siva. The continuity of the Sakti Linga Puranas have lucidly narrated interesting cult since then till the beginning of the historic 80 Orissa Review September - 2009 period is attested by the stray finds and excavation Thereafter, the ferocious goddesses started their at Rajghat, Rupar, Kausambi, Pataliputra and in campaign of destroying the whole universe. the south has retrieved remains pertaining to the Having no other alternative to subdue the Sakti cult. The epics particularly the goddesses Siva prayed to Narasimha who Mahabharata highlighted the Sakta principle. appeared instantly with his claws besmeared with The two Durga stotras, one chanted by the blood of Hiranyakasipu, his tongue flapping Judhisthira and the other by Arjuna in the form of out like the spark of electricity, with the formidable eulogy are considered basically the genesis of fangs sparkling like a thousand Sun. He created Mahadevi-Durga manifestation, which was fully 32 Matrikas who were more terrible than the reflected in the Puranas and Upa-Puranas. On goddesses created by Siva. The earlier mothers the basis of iconographic conception as recorded asked to stay in different parts of the world and in the Puranas, the manifestations of Sakti were look after the human beings and animals as their carved in sculptures and worshipped in the children. This indicates various manifestations of temples. the Sakti conceived iconographically and were Of the numerous Puranic legends, I touch propitiated. To highlight each of them Upa- upon in short, a few of them to signify the Puranas and interesting legends were composed. importance of the Sakti in different forms. The It is pertinent to note that the Matrikas Makandeya Purana (compiled in the 4th century were created as the war goddesses iconic forms. A.D.) relates that the Matrikas were created by They are seated at ease either in Lalita or Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, Indra, Kartikeya etc. to Yogasana, associated each with a child on the fight the demons as the assistants of the Mahadevi- lap (except Chamunda who is seated in Durga. Particularly the demons like Chanda, Rajalilasana) and flanked below by their Munda and Raktavirjya were endowed with respective vahanas. They bear forms and quality of multiplying into demons equal to cognisances of their male counterparts. themselves in strength and prowess no sooner According to the Markandeya Purana these are their drops of blood oozed out from the wounds the female counterparts who are armed with the touched the ground. To kill the demon same weapons, wear the same ornaments, and Raktavirjya, Siva created from his energy the ride the same vahanas and carry the same banners goddess Yogeswari and similarly the other major as the corresponding male gods do. Accordingly gods created Saktis from their energies. It was Brahmani should be sculpted like Brahma, with the assistance of the Matrikas Mahadeva Maheswari like Maheswara, Vaisnavi like Vishnu, was able to kill the demon Raktavirjya. This story Varahi a short-statured women with the face of a is recorded in different forms in other Puranas. boar (like Varaha-Vishnu ), Indrani like Indra, The account of the Matsya Purana runs that when Koumari like Kumara (Kartikeya) and Siva discharged his Pasupata weapon against Chamunda created from the 3rd eye of Mahadevi Andhaka demon, numerous demons of similar represents a skeleton in appearance-flesh dried stature sprang up from the drops of blood gushing up, bones and sinews shown through the dried out of his body. In order to assist him in the combat skin, eyes sunken and abdomen contracted, with Siva created as many as 132 goddesses of hairs shooting upwards in the shape of flames tied formidable countenance, who drank all the bloods with snakes, with the tongue and teeth protruding of the demon finally killing him in the battle ground. out, wearing a garland of skulls, and a tiger skin, 81 Orissa Review September - 2009 sitting on a deadbody flanked by an owl or vulture evidences prove the prevalence of Shaktism in and jackals drinking blood dropping from the Orissa from the Gupta period, Viraja being the severed head of the demon. earliest Sakti goddess (in Mahisasuramardini According to the iconographic fearures form). The earliest group of Sapta Matrikas is Varahi has the face of boar and colour of the storm sculpted in the Parasurameswar temple (7th cloud. She wears on her head a karandamukuta century A.D) of Bhubaneswar. The images here amd is adorned with ornaments made of corals. are seated in Yogasana flanked by Ganesa and She weilds the hala (plough ) and the sakti and Virabhadra. The next in order of chronology is seated under a kalpa tree. Her vahana as well comes Matrikas of Vaital temple (8th century as the emblem on her banner is the elephant. To A.D). Here the images beautifully sculpted bearing this description Vishnudharmottara adds that the art tradition of the Bhaumakaras. They are all she has a big belly. According to this authority seated in ease in Yogasana. They are not she has six hands, in four of which she carries the associated with the child. Chamunda is the danda, khadga, khetaka and pasa. The two presiding goddess locally known as Kapali. Dr. remaining hands being held respectively in abhaya K.C.Panigrahi referring to the grim atmosphere and varada poses. The Purvakarmagama created in the dark cella of Khakhara (Vaital) relates that she carries the saranga dhanu, the temple and a stone yupa in front of the temple hala and the musala as her weapons. suggests the prevalence of Kapalika form of Leaving aside the iconographical worship in the temple. Chamunda was the references we have the archaeological treasures presiding goddess of the Kapalika sect of Saivism. of the Matrikas from the Gupta perod. The It is interesting to note that in Orissa a separate Gangadhar stone inscription of Kumara Gupta order of temple known as the Khakhara was speaks of the Matrikas. In the chronological erected in honour of a form of the Sakta deity. sequence the inscription of the early Chalukya The Vaital shrine is the earliest shrine of this order. ruler, we come across the names of seven We have in Orissa as many as thirteen extant mothers. The Matrikas appeared in the sculptural Khakhara temples in different stages of representation throughout India. In the succeeding preservation. No male deity was ever enshrined period the Sakti cult became so prominent that in such temple. We have a separate Silpasastra in the Mothers appeared in the mainstream of Indian regard to this type of temple along with the religion in some form or other. temples of Rekha and Pidha order. Orissa became a prominent centre of Varahi in the group of Matrikas in the Saktism in Eastern India. According to the Vaital temple is a sow-faced deity holding a fish Hevajra Tantra, the Sakta-Tantrism flourished and an exe in her two hands. She may be identified in four major centers of India-Uddiyana (Orissa), as Matsya Varahi. The ceiling of the Mukteswar Purnagiri, Kamarupa and Jalandhara. The Kalika temple( C. 10th century A.D) contains a set of Purana (11th century A.D.) emphasizes that the Saptamatrikas on an eight-petalled lotus, each first Brahmanical tantric pitha in India originated petal having a Matrika. For the first time here and developed in Odra Desa (Orissa), the we find the association of a child each (except presiding deities of which were Jagannatha and Chamunda). Child was perhaps associated with the goddess Katyayani. The archaeological the mother from about 10th century onwards. All 82 Orissa Review September - 2009 other Matrikas set to be discussed in the In the door lintel (now detached) of the succeeding pages are linked with children. Durga temple at Shergarh in the district of Contemporary to this group there is a set Balasore we come across in miniature form a set of Saptamatrikas on the edge of the of Saptamatrikas flanked by Ganesa and Markandesvara tank in Puri town (assignable to Virabhadra. The temple is of Khakhara order the Somavamsi period) and the Saptamatrikas assignable to 9th century A.D.

Load more