Stone Durga with Murugan as Skanda-Mata 29"
- The stone Durga statue was carved as a set of the Navadura (9 Durgas) for a temple. In this form Durga is Skanda-Mātā, The mother of Murugan born out of her powers, with a small version of Aurumurgan (Murugan with 6 faces) on her lap
- Skanda-Mata is worshiped on the fifth day of Navaratri
- Durga was hand carved from one piece of granite, completely one of a kind and perfect indoors or outside in any weather, hot or cold
In this form Durga is Skanda-Mātā (The mother of Skanda, Kārttikeya, born out of her powers)
The fifth aspect of the Mother Durga is known as Skanda Mata - the mother of Skanda or Lord Kartikeya (in South India, Murugan) who was chosen by gods as their commander in chief in the war against the demons. She is worshiped on the fifth day of Navaratri. She is accompanied by the Lord Skanda in his infant form. Skanda Mata has four arms and three eyes, holds the infant Skanda in her right upper arm and a lotus in her right hand which is raised upwards. The left arm is in pose to grant boons and her 2 upper hands she holds 2 lotus flowers.
About Black Granite: Indian black granite is a wonderful stone. It is capable of a variety of finishes which can give it a variety of different color possibilities. It is possible to see 4-5 different colors on a single piece depending on the degree of polish or roughness of the stone. Indian black granite is among the best granite in the world sought after by artists globally. Unlike inferior quality granite, Indian granite is extremely dense and without impurities that plague other stones. The density of granite makes a granite sculpture perfect for any garden because it can be left outside in extreme heat and extreme cold for years without care.
You just know when you find the right piece to bring into your home and into your heart. - Kyle Tortora, Founder of Lotus Sculpture
Durga the Buffalo Demon Slayer
The buffalo demon Mahisha stomped across the three worlds, kicking up dust, polluting the earth and sea.
Neither Indra, king of gods, nor Kumara, commander of the celestial armies could stop him. In despair the gods called on Vishnu for help. Vishnu confronted the demon Mahisha first as Narasimha the man lion and then as Varaha, the boar, but each time he failed to subdue the demon.
Shiva, the supreme ascetic, disturbed by the violence opened h's third eye unleashing the fire of doom. Even the power of Shiva's third eye capable of destroying the three worlds could not arrest Mahisha's march.
"Nothing can stop Mahisha now: he will soon control the universe and make Nature dance to his tunes," said Brahma the creator.
"It will never be so, Nature can never be conquered," said Brahma as his divine strength, his shakti, emerged from his body in the form of the goddess Brahmi. She rode a swan and held books of wisdom in her hands.
Simultaneously, the shaktis of the other gods emerged taking female forms. From Indra, rose Indrani bearing a thunderbolt, riding an elephant, from Kumara rose Kaumari holding a lance and riding a peacock, from Vishnu rose Vaishanavi on an eagle with a discus whirling on her finger, from Varaha came the sharp tusk sow Varahi, from Shiva came Shiavani riding a bull bearing a trident.
The seven shaktis, unrestrained by the bodies of the gods, were fearsome beings - unbridled, untamed, restless energies of the cosmos. They would not submit to the authority of any man, beast or god, let alone a demon.
They rose to the sky and merged with each other in a blinding light. The sounds of the conchs, drums and bells filled the air. With bated breath, the gods watched the light. From the heavenly light arose a beautiful goddess.
"Who are you" asked the gods.
"I am Durga, the inaccessible one," replied the goddess. "I am Prakriti, the substance that gives form and identity to all things. I am Shakti, the power that enables all creatures to exist, to feel, think, act and react. I am Maya, the delusion that makes life alluring yet elusive." The gods saluted the great goddess. "Give me your weapons and I shall destroy he who seeks to dominate me," said the great goddess.
The goddess acquiesced. Shiva gave his trident, Vishnu his discus and mace, Indra his thunderbolt, Kurmara his lance, Brahma his bow. Then mounting a lion, Durga prepared for battle.
News of Vindhyavasini, Durga, the beautiful goddess who resides upon a mountain, mount Meru, reached Mahisha. "She shall be my queen," declared the buffalo demon. He ordered his two generals, Chanda and Munda, to fetch her.
Chanda and Munda placed the marriage proposal before Durga.
Durga did not reply. The demons viewed this as insubordination and threatened Durga. The mighty goddess responded by swinging her sword in one grand sweep she cut off both the generals heads.
The violent rejection of his marriage proposal enraged Mahisha. "Bring that proud woman before me in chains and I shall show her who is master."
A hundred thousand asuras armed with bows, arrows, spears and swords surrounded Mount Meru, determined to capture Durga. They marched up the mountain, before long a hundred thousand demon heads were seen rolling down Mount Meru smearing its slopes red.
Durga drank the blood of the demons. Seizing a lute and drum she made music to celebrate her victory.
Humiliated by the defeat Mahisha asked, "Why won't you marry me, am I not lord of the three worlds?"
"I shall marry only he who defeats me in battle," revealed the goddess. "Then let us fight," responded the buffalo demon.
A great battle commenced. Mountains shook, oceans trembled, clouds scattered across the sky, as the buffalo demon attacked Durga. He rushed towards her, sometimes as a buffalo, sometimes as a lion, sometimes as an elephant. The goddess broke the buffalo's horns with her mace, sheared the lion's mane with her lance, cut the elephant's trunk with her sword.
Weapon after weapon, when hurled at the buffalo demon, but each time he managed to rise up undefeated.
Realizing that her weapons had no effect on Mahisha, Durga threw them aside, dismounted from her lion and with her bare hands sprang upon Mahisha's back. With her tender feet she kicked his head. The demon, immune to the weapons of all the gods, fell senseless at the touch of Durga's feet. Durga then raised her trident and plunged it into the buffalo demons heart conquering the unconquerable.
Granite statues from India do not need much maintenance. The best way to maintain the statue is to simply dust the piece periodically to keep any dirt from accumulating. They can be used for both indoor and outdoor use
go over the statue to remove any dust or dirt buildup.
Soap and warm water is the best way to maintain the statue. You can use a small brush to get into the small crevices of the statue like the hands and hair.
Granite's durability makes it perfect for cold winters and hot summers of any climate. The stone can stand up to the harshest conditions of heat and bitter cold. We suggest you bathe the sculpture at least once a year so that dirt does not collect on the sculpture. This will maintain the sculpture for your grandchildren and then their grandchildren!
If you have any questions concerning your Indian granite statue please email us at [email protected] or call us at 1(760) 994-4455.
USA Shipping
This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California gallery and ready for immediate packing & shipping. Packing takes anywhere from 1-4 business days. Shipping takes anywhere from 1-6 business days. The shipping price is automatically calculated from Oceanside, California to the destination in the online checkout. Or you can get a shipping quote by clicking the Calculate Shipping link beneath the Add to Cart button. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance to the destination from our Oceanside, California showroom.
The delivery charges include insurance, a residential lift gate delivery to your home or business. The freight company will call you to schedule a delivery day and time frame to make the delivery. Someone must be present to receive the statue. Depending on where you are located we will use either R&L Carriers, UPS Freight, Estes, DHX or Roadrunner Transport.
The freight company will use a lift gate to bring the sculpture to the ground and then use a pallet jack to move it anywhere on the same level. They will move it anywhere in your driveway or in your garage. They will not take it to your backyard or in the elevator to your apartment or up or down any steps. They will not be unpacking the statue and taking the crate away. Think of them as you would UPS or Fedex. They only deliver the statue. If you require a little extra service, (within reason) a tip to a delivery man usually works wonders!
For placing the statue our customers have either placed the statue themselves with help of a friend and a tool like a hand truck or a dolly. Or by contacting their landscaper who is used to moving large and heavy objects like rocks and trees into place. For much larger and heavier sculptures sometimes the customer needs a piece of heavy equipment for placing the statue like a crane or forklift. If you have any questions contact me directly at [email protected] or (760) 994-4455
International Shipping
This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California showroom and ready for immediate packing & shipping. This piece is too heavy to ship via UPS and will be shipped using an international freight service. Packing takes anywhere from 1-4 days depending on the statue. We can ship the statue using either sea or air freight to either the your home or the closest port.
If you place your order online shipping will show in the order as $0. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance from Oceanside, California to determine the shipping price. The shipping quote will be emailed to you and no charge will be made without your approval.
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page. Or you can email [email protected] or call us 760-994-4455 to receive a shipping quote. Please include the item number of the statue you are interested in purchasing as well as your country and postal code.
Here you can view how our freight statues are professionally crated.