She is worshipped on the eighth day of Navaratri. According to Hindu mythology, Devi Maha Gauri is extremely fair white in colour and very beautiful. Maha means great, extreme and Gauri means white colour, hence she is named Maha Gauri. She always wears white clothes and rides a white bull (Vrishabha). Because of that she is also known as Vrisharudha. Goddess Mahagauri is depicted with four hands. She carries Trishul in one right hand and keeps the second right hand in Abhaya Mudra. She adorns Damaru in the one left hand and keeps the second left hand in Varada Mudra.
Killing of various Demons
The story of Mahagauri’s incarnation is lile this. The mighty demons Shumbha and Nishumbha had a boon that they could only be killed by a virgin, unmarried form of Devi Parvati. Lord Brahma advises Lord Shiva, who teases Parvati repeatedly for her skin colour. On repeated teasing, Devi Parvati performed strict penance to Brahma so as to get a fair complexion. Lord Brahma explained his inability to grant her a boon and instead requested her to stop her penance and slay the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. Parvati agreed and went to take a bath in the river Ganges in Himalaya. Parvati entered in the Ganga river and as she took a bath, her dark skin washed off from her person entirely and she came back out as a beautiful white woman, wearing white garments and apparels, so she gained the epithet “Mahagauri”. She then appeared in front of the gods who were praying to her at the Himalayas for the destruction of Shumbha and Nishumbha, and worriedly asked who was being worshipped by them. She then reflected as the black Kaushiki and answered herself saying that the gods were praying to her, after being defeated by the demons Shumbh and Nishumbh. Parvati then turned black out of pity for the gods and was called Kalika. She then became Chandi (Chandraghanta) and killed demon Dhumralochan. Chanda and Munda were killed by Goddess Chamunda who appeared out from the third eye of Chandi. Chandi then killed Raktabija and his clones, while Chamunda drank their blood. Parvati turned into Kaushiki again and killed Shumbh and Nishumbh, after which she transformed back into Mahagauri. Hence Devi Parvati killed Shumbha and Nishumbha, giving her the titles of Mahasaraswati or Ambika in the Shiva purana and the Devi Mahatmya (part of the Markandeya Purana) respectively.
Legend
According to a story, once Goddess Parvati performed intense sacrament and penance in the forest of Himalayas to get Lord Shiva as her husband. During this period her body got covered with soil and she turned black in colour, developed a black complexion. It is said that due to her long austerities in the deep forests of the Himalayas, she developed a dark complexion. Then She was cleaned by Lord Shiva cleaned her with the holy water of the Ganges. Her body regained its beauty and she came to be known as Maha Gauri, which mean extremely white. Her skin started shining like white pearl and Lord Shiv named her Maha Gauri. Mata Maha Gauri is the consort of Mahadev (Lord Shiva). Her beauty glows like sparkling White Pearl and her grace is infinite. She is filled with kindness and morality.
Maa Mahagauri’s power
Her power is unfailing and instantly fruitful. As a result of her worship, all sins of past, present and future get washed away and devotees get purified in all aspects of life. Maha Gauri is intelligent, peaceful and calm. She wears white clothes, has four arms, and rides on a bull. Her right hand is in the pose of allaying fear and her right lower hand holds a trident. The left upper hand holds a ‘damaru’ (a small rattle drum) and the lower one is in the pose of granting boons to her devotees.
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