Durga

Durga, the unreachable One. That's is what the Supreme Mother's name means. Quite daunting actually if you think about it, as she is said to be the most difficult of goddesses to reach. The Sanskrit word 'durga' is said to mean 'unattainable'. However, as a feminine energy and a mother figure, She isn't the detached energy Her name may stand for. A simple prayer of a child to his Mother is all that is required to reach her.

The Durga sect (a misnomer actually since the proper expression is the Sakta sect or followers of Shakti) has become increasingly popular lately. In the past, in Malaysia at least, one hardly heard of Durga Puja or her worship on Tuesdays. Goddess Mariamman and Goddess Kali were popular but Durga was always a shadowy goddess. Now, She is in the forefront, adored by all and fervently worshipped.

This could mean two things. One, people are tuning themselves to higher manifestations of the goddess or two, Her time to make an appearence has come. The latter possibility is not very promising as the Puaranas (mythological text) say that Durga incarnates when the world falls into total chaos and evil needs to be vanquished.