File:The Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon (Mahishasuramardini), Philadelphia Museum of Art.jpg

English: The Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon (Mahishasuramardini), Philadelphia Museum of Art. Description from the museum reads: "The Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon (Mahishasuramardini). 750. India (Bhubaneshwar, Odisha). From an exterior wall of a temple dedicated to Shiva. Sandstone. This Hindu Great Goddess is known by innumerable names including Durga, Parvati, and Lakshmi. She represents the active power of the universe and is worshipped across South Asia. For many Hindus, she is the ultimate deity. The story represented here tells how all the male Hindu gods cannot quell Mahishasura, a buffalo-shaped demon who embodies ignorance. They combine their powers to embody Durga and each god then arms her with his special weapon (for example, see Shiva's trident stuck in the demon's neck). However, it is her own power that triumphs (note her thumb wedged in the demon's teeth). Another significant detail can be found at the lower left of the sculpture: the demon raises Durga's right foot in his hand conveying that, even in death, a soul may gain salvation by recognizing the power of the divine. Purchased from the Stella Kramrisch Collection with funds contributed by R. Sturgis Ingersoll, Nelson Rockefeller, and other generous donorsthe bequest of Sophia Cadwalader, the Popular Subscription Fund, and proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned works of art, 1956-75-7."