Editing Chamunda (section)

==Iconography==

The black- or red-coloured Chamunda is described as wearing a garland of severed heads or skulls (''[[Mundamala]]''). She is described as having four, eight, ten or twelve arms, holding a [[Damaru]] (drum), [[trishula]] (trident), sword, snake, skull-mace (''[[khatvanga]]''), thunderbolt, a severed head and ''panapatra'' (drinking vessel) or skull-cup ([[kapala]]), filled with blood. She stands or sits upon the corpse of a man (''shava'' or ''preta''), a defeated demon or corpse. She is adorned with bones, skulls, and serpents. She also wears a ''Yajnopavita'' (sacred thread) of skulls. She wears a ''jata mukuta'', that is, a headdress formed of piled, matted hair tied together with snakes or skull ornaments. Sometimes, a crescent moon is seen on her head.<ref name = "Descriptions">See:
* Kinsley p. 147, 156. Descriptions as per Devi Mahatmya, verses 8.11-20
* {{cite web |url= http://museums.ap.nic.in/sapta.html|title= Sapta Matrikas (12th C AD)|access-date=2008-01-08 | publisher= Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Andhra Pradesh |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070701121832/http://museums.ap.nic.in/sapta.html |archive-date = July 1, 2007}}
* {{cite web|url = https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/s/sandstone_figure_of_chamunda.aspx|last= Donaldson |first= T. |title = Chamunda, The fierce, protective eight-armed mother.|publisher = British Museum}}
* "Chamunda, the Horrific Destroyer of Evil [India, Madhya Pradesh] (1989.121)". In Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/07/ssn/ho_1989.121.htm (October 2006)
* Kalia, pp.106–109.</ref><ref name = "anistor">{{cite web |url= http://www.anistor.gr/english/enback/Saptmatrika.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505020416/http://www.anistor.gr/english/enback/Saptmatrika.pdf |archive-date=2010-05-05 |url-status=live|title= Sapta Matrikas In Indian Art and their significance in Indian Sculpture and Ethos: A Critical Study|access-date=2008-01-08 |last= Goswami|first= Meghali|author2=Gupta, Ila |author3=Jha, P. |date=March 2005|work= Anistoriton Journal|publisher= Anistoriton}} "Anistoriton is an electronic Journal of History, Archaeology and ArtHistory. It publishes scholarly papers since 1997 and it is freely available on the Internet. All papers and images since vol. 1 (1997) are available on line as well as on the free Anistorion CD-ROM edition."</ref> Her eye sockets  are described as burning the world with flames. She is accompanied by spirits.<ref name="anistor"/><ref name="Kinsley p.147">Kinsley p.147</ref> She is also shown to be surrounded by skeletons, ghosts and beasts like jackals, who are shown eating the flesh of the corpse the goddess sits or stands on. The jackals and her fearsome companions are sometimes depicted as drinking blood from her skull-cup or the severed head she is holding, implying that Chamunda drinks the blood of the defeated enemies.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.nortonsimon.org/guide_item.aspx?id=470&item=chamunda|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061003135311/http://www.nortonsimon.org/guide_item.aspx?id=470&item=chamunda|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2006-10-03|title = Durga: Avenging Goddess, Nurturing Mother ch.3, Chamunda|publisher = Norton Simon Museum}}</ref> This quality of drinking blood is a characteristic of all Matrikas, and Chamunda in particular. At times, she is depicted seated on an owl, her [[vahana]] (mount or vehicle), or a [[Water buffalo|buffalo]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.omsakthi.org/goddess/chamundi.html | title=Goddess Chamundi }}</ref> or [[Dhole]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.drikpanchang.com/hindu-goddesses/parvati/matrika/sapta-matrika.html | title=Sapta Matrika &#124; 7 Matara - Seven Forms of Goddess Shakti }}</ref> Her banner figures an eagle.<ref name ="anistor"/>

These characteristics, a contrast to the typical depictions of Hindu goddesses with full breasts and beautiful faces, symbolise the inevitability of old age, death, decay and destruction.<ref>Wangu p.94</ref> Chamunda is often seen as a form of Kali. She appears as a frightening old woman,  projecting fear and horror.<ref name="art-and-archaeology.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india/jagat/jagat13.html|title = Ancient India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/asianartglossary.html#chamunda|title = Glossary of Asian Art}}</ref>