#Antiquityof_Devi_Mahishmardhini
#Four_handed_to_20th_handed
#Thread

Concluded Part

Next in order of chronology, the images of four-armed variety such as Durga Idol at Daksinacandi temple at Jambhira in Keonjhar district of Odisha which may be placed to the post Gupta period.

There are several other four-armed Durga sculptures during later Ganga period which give iconographic features different from the earlier ones.

Out of seven images of this variety, three of which at Bhubaneswar and the rest in Prachi valley of Odisha.

The image enshrined in the Durga temple at Krushnaprasad village in Motia in Prachi valley in Cuttack district, Odisha, India; Another image of this type is noticed in a house attached to Gangaswari temple at Bayalisbati in Puri district.

The six armed Mahisamardini image is rare in Odisha except one in Parasurameswar temple, Bhubaneswar of 6th/7th AD and other sculptures in Uttareswara/ Mohini temple.

Two sculpture of eight-armed during Bhaumakaras are in Boital and Shisireswar temples, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The presiding goddess in the Durga temple at Baideswar, of the same variety this class are seen in the northern and southern niches of the temple. Seems, during the Bhaumakara rulers, the image of Mahisamarddini replaces Parvati as the Parsva-devata in the north raha
niche.

Dasabhuja Mahisamarddhini was even more common and more popular in Orissa. The beautiful ones found at Pitapura, Lataharan, Niali, Jageswar on Prachi valley, in Bhattarika temple near Baramba (Photo), Kanak Durga near Remuna at Khiching, Padhuan near Basudevpur at Bhubaneswar.

Twelve-armed Mahisasuramardhini sculptures are not many in Orissa. Two such images are indicated by the scholars one as Tara-Tarini on the eastern edge of Bindusarovara at Bhubaneswar (Photo : Adyasha Das, FB) and other is Dakeswari near Chandrabali in the district of Balasore.

A twelve armed figure at Kanakeswar temple of Kualo is of 9th cAD. Another one is found in Kapotesvar temple of Nathuavara.

Another twelve armed Mahisamardini Durga discovered at Dharmasala, Jajpur, Odisha is of 10th c AD. The deity is now housed in Odisha State Museum.

One eighteen armed Durga image at Dakshina Kali temple at Dia near Nirakarpur is dated to 11th/12th c AD. Another one is from Prachi Valley.

Also a twenty armed Durga figure at Salebhata in Bolangir district, although the figure is slightly defacd it's glory is ever-shining.

Six-handed and Ten-handed Durga image : courtesy @BijayBiswaal

Other pictures : Wikipedia & Ms. Adyasha Das (FB)
https://puratattva.in 

I deeply regret for not able to collect picture of all the forms of Maa #Durga .

Thanks @ashishsarangi for providing these 16 nos. of photographs of images.