Stone Images (5): Sakta Images

A good number of Sakta images have been preserved in the archaeological museum and Gandhesvana temple of Sirpur.

The Sakta stone sculptures in the Sirpur museum contain the images of Mahisamardini Durga in Jnanamudra, Durga images, Camunda images viz. the images of Raktamukhi Camunda etc., Kali and many Devi images.

An image of Mahisamardini Devi Durga in the Sirpur museum is a unique example of the developed Sakta sculptrure of ancient Sripura. In this image, Devi Durga is in Jnanamudra, she is armed in her ten hands and is killing the demon Mahisa. The left leg and one of the left hands of the image are broken and list. In this sculpture, Devi Durga is on the Simhavahana (lion-vehicle) while the buffalo (Mahisa) is the Vahana (vehicle) of Mahisasura. In the recent excavations, a few Mahisamardini have been discovered from different sites.

The Camunda images of Sirpur are terrific, which had been sculptured as a skeletal form of the body structure. The Camunda images are the symbols of mercilessness towards the evil forces. One of them is six-handed, with terrible look with a wide-open mouth and an elongated tongue. She is stifling the neck of a demon with her two hands. The other four hands are holding different weapons.