Kali on Mahishasur

The legend of goddess Durga in her Mahishasurmardini avatar—where, as Kali, she slays the buffalo-headed demon Mahishasura—is one of the more popular themes from Hindu mythology to be attempted by different artists across generations. Madhvi Parekh had a rather close encounter with this subject during her stay in Calcutta for a decade (1964-75) with family, when she absorbed the heightened outpouring of artistic expression around this legend during the annual Durga Puja festival. She has made quite a few works on this theme; in fact, in 2005, when this monochromatic work was made, Parekh made a colour version as well. Both, however, are rich in details and symbolism to effectively convey the essence of the story—the victory of good over evil, and the supreme power of the divine feminine.