Saptamatrika

The Saptamatrika, or Seven Mothers, are a group of seven goddesses: Brahmani, Maheshwari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani and Chamunda. Each is the power of a god, and carries his weapon and mount. They are widely worshipped in the Shakta and Tantric traditions as protectors of children and of villages. Odisha has an unusually strong tradition of them, with the Saptamatruka at Jajpur, panels on the walls of the Parasurameswara and Vaital temples in Bhubaneswar, and the Varahi temple at Chaurasi.

The Devi Mahatmya describes the Matrikas in the battle with Shumbha and Nishumbha. When the demon army overwhelmed the gods, the shaktis of Brahma, Shiva, Skanda, Vishnu, Varaha and Indra came forth from the bodies of those gods, each in the form and with the weapons of her source, and joined the...