Introduction

Goddess Chandraghanta is the 'Shakti' who is war-ready to protect her devotees from evil forces. Therefore, devotees worship Goddess on the Third Day of Navratri. While Goddess Shailputri and Goddess Brahmacharini are the Shakti people worship on the First and Second day of Navratri, respectively.

This article is a detailed guide on Goddess Chandraghanta which tells you about her depiction, iconographies, why should we worship her, the significance of various Mudras, Astra & Shastra, etc.

Who is Goddess Chandraghanta?

Goddess Chandraghanta is that form of Mother Parvati who adorns herself with a semi-circular moon after marrying Lord Shiva. As the moon (In Hindi 'Chandra') on her forehead is shaped like a bell (in Hindi 'Ghanta') she derived the name 'Chandraghanta'. She is that incarnation of Navdurga who is violent and aggressive but to protect her devotees she is kind and benevolent.

Goddess Chandraghanta Depiction

Her depiction includes - A Vahana (Lion), Moon-bell, and Weapons. She rides on the Lion and adorns the Moon-bell on her forehead. She opens a third eye in the middle of her forehead similar to Lord Shiva.

She possesses ten hands holding weapons like Trishul, Gada, Bow-arrow, and Sword to show her readiness to fight the battle against evil. In the left four hands, she holds Trishul, Gada, Sword & kamandalam while the right hands are equipped with Bow, Arrow, Japamala, and Lotus.

The remaining two hands of the goddess are in different mudras to bless the devotees. These mudra are Varadamudra (remaining left hand) and Abhaymudra (remaining right hand).

Image: Goddess Chandraghanta Depiction

Significance of Various Iconographies of Goddess Chandraghanta

The Vahana - Lion

Maa Chandraghanta mounts a Lion that represents her power (Shakti) and warrior characteristics. Since the lion is the symbol of heroism and prowess, Mata Chooses it to become her Vahana.

The depiction of Mother Chandraghanta, riding on the Lion reveals the fact that Mata can control the animal instinct in us if developed.

Moon-bell

Goddess Chandraghanta adorns Moon-bell on her forehead whose sound keeps the evil spirits away from the devotees. It shows her readiness to fight with Asuric forces and defeat them.

Third-eye

Goddess Chandraghanta has a third eye in the middle of her forehead similar to Lord Shiva. The third is a symbol of that she can look beyond the physical dimension of two eyes.

We all have two eyes that can see only physical objects that follow the physics of light. But, they can't see what is not physical like greed, anger, lust, etc. rising inside us. Therefore, we need a third eye to look at them and to see inside of us. Only then, we can control them and integrate our bodies internally and externally.

Trishul

Trishul is the main weapon of many Hindu deities. Learn more about Trishul In the article, 'Goddess Shailaputri - the Goddess Worshipping Who on the 1st Day of Navratri Can Bring Stability' where we discussed that this trident-like weapon has the power to destroy evil forces.

The three points of it are associated with the three fundamental aspects of the universe - Creation, Preservation, and Destruction.

Gada (Mace)

Goddess Chandraghanta holds 'Gada' in her left hand which is the symbol of 'Strength'. The Gada in her hand shows her ability to overcome challenges and her power to crush obstacles or enemies. It is the primary weapon of Lord Hanuman also.

Bow-arrow

The Bow represents her ability to pierce through negativity and destroy evil. While the Arrow represents the direction and purpose in life. It gives the message to move forward with a clear aim and achieve success in life.

Sword

Goddess Chandraghanta holds a Sword in her left hand that reflects her strength and ability to cut through ignorance. The Sword is a traditional weapon in different cultures including Hinduism. It is the symbol of power and strength that leads to victory over evils.

Japamal, Kamandalam and Lotus

Mother Chandraghanta holds Japamala, Kamandalam, and Lotus in her other hands. These are also the essential parts of Goddess Brahmacharini. Learn about them in the article 'Goddess Brahmacharini: worshipping whom on the 2nd day of Navratri can provide peace'.

Mudras

Mother Chandraghanta bestows love and blessing to her devotees through different Mudras. Her left hand is in Varadamudra and the right one is in Abhaymudra.

A Mudra is a special kind of hand gesture that is practiced in different cultures such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Deities in these cultures are seen posing different kinds of Mudras. The practice of these Mudras is also popular in Indian Classical Dance and Various Yoga Asans.

Practise of Different Kinds of Mudras

Abhaymudra

'Abhaymudra' is one of the earliest depicted hand gestures for protection, peace, and fearlessness. In this pose right hand is held upright, facing the palm outwards. Posing this gesture the supreme deity is giving us a message to conquer all types of fears and become fearless.

‘Abhay’ is a popular word for fearlessness in Hindi and Sanskrit thus posing it (Abhaymudra) reflects the same characteristics. 

Image: Abhaymudra

Varadamudra

 'Varadamudra' is a gesture for providing boons and granting wishes. For posing Varadamudra, the hand is held out with the palm uppermost and pointing fingers downwards. 

'Varada' is a Sanskrit word that refers to the ‘granting of wishes or boons’ and posing it symbolizes granting wishes of devotees.

Image: Varadmudra

Dhyan Mudra

Dhyan Mudra is a symbol of complete spiritual enlightenment. Posing it refers to going into the stage of Samadhi or deep meditation. To form this Mudra, the hands upturned are kept relaxed overlapping each other on the lap. The palm of the right hand is kept above the palm of the left hand with the thumbs of both hands touching each other to create a triangular shape. 

Image: Dhyanmudra

The word Dhyaan is composed of two words Dhi and Yaan. ‘Dhi’ is a Sanskrit origin word that means intellect or Meditation. Take for example “Buddhi (Budh  + Dhi)”, “Dhyan (Dhi + Yaan)”, and “Samadhi (Sama + Dhi)”, where ‘Dhi’ adds with other words as a suffix or prefix. Therefore the word Dhyan refers to deep meditation with more significance than Focus. 

The process of enlightenment starts from Dhyan and ends with Samadhi. Dhyan is the initial stage while Samadhi is the final or ultimate stage in which one attains the equanimous state of intellect. This is the reason, Lord Buddha is usually depicted with Dhyan Mudra meditating in a sitting position.

Bhairav Mudra

Bhairav Mudra is a symbol of a terrifying attitude because it is named after ‘Bhairav’, who is one of the most fierce incarnations of Lord Shiva. 

This Mudra can be formed in the same manner as Dhyan Mudra. The only difference is that, unlike Dhyan Mudra, the Thumbs of either hand do not touch each other to form a triangle. In Yogic Practices, the mudra helps to imbalance the energy flow of the body. Posing Bhairav Mudra can help in destroying fear inside us. 

Image: Bhairavmudra

Bhoomisparsh Mudra 

Bhoomisparsh (Bhoomi is the Hindi word for Earth) Mudra is also known as Earth Witness Mudra because posing this mudra is a kind of request to Earth to become the witness of our intellect and enlightenment. 

In this Mudra, the left hand is kept upturned on the lap while the right hand touches the mother Earct with all five fingers supporting the right knee. This way it gives the message that Mother Earth is the witness to the attainment of one’s enlightenment. 

Image: Bhoomisparsh Mudra

It is the most common mudra in which Lord Buddha’s statues are found. Lord Buddha after getting enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, touched the Earth with his Right Hand symbolizing that the goddess Earth is the witness to his attainment of enlightenment. 

Anjali Mudra

Anjali Mudra is the most popular mudra that refers to respect, honor, or, greeting to someone. In the Anjali Mudra, the palms and fingers of both hands join each other in vertical facing each other and kept high parallel to the chest. 

Image: Anjali Mudra

This Mudra is popularly used all over the globe and is formed to do Namaster (A gesture of greeting). 

Temples Dedicated to Goddess Chandraghanta

Goddess Chandraghanta Temples in India are situated in Varanasi, Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu), and Srisailam Devasthanam (Andhra Pradesh).

Chandraghanta Durga Temple, Varanasi

The Chandraghanta Durga Temple in Varanasi is situated at Chowk 23/34, Chandraghanta Gali in Varanasi. Here, Mata is worshipped in the form of Goddess Chandraghanta and blesses devotees with compassion and love.

Why Should You Worship Goddess Chandraghanta?

We should worship Goddess Chandraghanta to seek for protection from evils and Asurik energies. She removes negative forces coming towards her devotees. She is violent and aggressive to demons but for her devotees, she is kind, benevolent, and protective.

Key Highlights about Goddess Chandraghanta

(a) She is worshipped on the third day of Navratri.

(b) She is the most fierce Manifestation of goddess Navdurga having ten hands and three eyes. She mounts on the Lion and possesses weapons to slay demons.

(c) Her other names include Rannchandi, Chandrakhanda, and Chandika.

Conclusion

Goddess Chandraghanta is the slayer of demons and protector of her devotees. She blesses her devotees to become fearless and fight with challenges with full strength.