Try GOLD - Free

THE GODDESS ASCENDANT

The Sunday Guardian

|

October 05, 2025

How India’s worship of the feminine divine unites, and has gone global.

- HINDOL SENGUPTA

THE GODDESS ASCENDANT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participates in Durga Puja at Kali Bari in Chittaranjan Park, on the occasion of Maha Ashtami. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also present, in New Delhi, on Tuesday. Narendra Modi Photo Gallery/ANI

(Narendra Modi Photo Gallery/ANI)

The autumnal worship of the Goddess in India, culminating in the grand celebrations of Durga Puja and Navratri, is not a mere folk tradition. It is anchored in a profound and sophisticated theological framework that stretches back to the very dawn of Hindu scripture.

This philosophical bedrock conceives of the Divine Feminine, or Shakti, not as a consort or a secondary deity, but as the supreme, all-pervading cosmic force.

Long before the iconographic depiction of Durga emerged, the concept of a supreme feminine divinity was articulated in one of the most remarkable hymns of the ancient Rig Veda. The Devi Suktam (Mandala 10, Hymn 125) stands as the foundational text of Shaktism, the tradition that venerates the Goddess as the ultimate reality. What makes this hymn radical and foundational is its perspective: it is not a prayer addressed to the Goddess, but a blazing, first-person declaration by the Goddess herself. Speaking through the voice of the seer Vak Ambhrini, who has realized her own identity with the cosmic mother, the Devi reveals her absolute sovereignty over all creation.

MORE STORIES FROM The Sunday Guardian

The Sunday Guardian

The Sunday Guardian

DEADLY INFECTIONS AND TOXINS FROM WATER OUTDOORS

The outbreak of “brain-eating” amoeba infections or PAM (primary amoebic meningoencephalitis) in Kozhikode district and the adjacent Malappuram district, in Kerala, has drawn attention to the dangers of contaminated water.

time to read

6 mins

October 05, 2025

The Sunday Guardian

The Sunday Guardian

No plans for regulatory oversight of family offices, clarifies SEBI

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Saturday clarified that it is not considering any regulatory oversight of family offices, dismissing recent media reports suggesting otherwise.

time to read

1 min

October 05, 2025

The Sunday Guardian

The Sunday Guardian

TRUMP EYES STAKE IN GREENLAND EARTHS MINE

Trump administration officials have discussed taking a stake in Critical Metals Corp (CRML.O), four people familiar with the discussions told media, which would give Washington a direct interest in the largest rare earths project in Greenland, the Arctic territory that President Donald Trump once suggested buying.

time to read

1 min

October 05, 2025

The Sunday Guardian

MICHIEL TO DIRECT 'FINAL DESTINATION'

Belgian filmmaker Michiel Blanchart has been roped in to direct the next instalment of ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

time to read

1 min

October 05, 2025

The Sunday Guardian

The Sunday Guardian

Nitish to meet JDU picks personally before announcement

Chief Minister will evaluate aspirants individually, ensuring alignment with party’s electoral strategy.

time to read

2 mins

October 05, 2025

The Sunday Guardian

AIMIM PROJECTS CONFIDENCE, TO CONTEST BIHAR POLLS INDEPENDENTLY

As the Bihar Assembly elections approach, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) is projecting confidence about mounting a strong challenge, especially in its stronghold of Seemanchal.

time to read

2 mins

October 05, 2025

The Sunday Guardian

BJP NAVIGATES STATE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES

BJP appoints new leaders in Gujarat, Jharkhand, but faces hurdles in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

time to read

2 mins

October 05, 2025

The Sunday Guardian

The Sunday Guardian

COULD TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN BE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE GAZA TUNNEL?

Trump’s 20-point proposal offers hope for Gaza, but hurdles remain on both sides.

time to read

6 mins

October 05, 2025

The Sunday Guardian

Delhi Police reunite 106 missing persons in September

In the span of just one month, the Delhi Police have successfully traced and reunited over a hundred missing individuals across the capital. According to officials, the South-West District Police alone managed to locate and restore 106 missing persons, including 31 children and 75 adults, to their families under the banner of Operation Milap during September 2025.

time to read

1 min

October 05, 2025

The Sunday Guardian

IndianOil appoints Srivastava as director

Saumitra P Srivastava has assumed charge as Director (Marketing) at IndianOil, bringing with him a distinguished career spanning over three decades.

time to read

1 min

October 05, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size