Durga in the context of "Mahishasura"

A shrine (Latin: scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: escrin "box or case") is a sacred space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated. A shrine at which votive offerings are made is called an altar.

Shrines are found in many of the world's religions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Shinto, indigenous Philippine folk religions, and Germanic paganism as well as in secular and non-religious settings such as a war memorial. Shrines can be found in various settings, such as churches, temples, cemeteries, or as household shrines. Portable shrines are also found in some cultures.

The Devi Mahatmya or Devi Mahatmyam (Sanskrit: देवीमाहात्म्यम्, romanized: devīmāhātmyam, lit. 'Glory of the Goddess') is a Hindu philosophical text describing the Goddess, known as Adi Parashakti or Durga, as the supreme divine ultimate reality and creator of the universe. It is part of the Mārkanḍeya Purāna (chapters 81 to 93).

The Devi Mahatmyam is also known as the Durgā Saptashatī (दुर्गासप्तशती), Śata Chandī (शत् चंडी) and Chandi Path (चंडी पाठ). The text contains 700 verses that are arranged into 13 chapters. It is one of the most important texts in Shaktism, along with Devi-Bhagavata Purana and Devi Upanishad. The text is also one of the earliest extant complete manuscripts from the Hindu traditions which describes reverence and worship of the feminine aspect of God.

Shaktism (Sanskrit: शाक्तसम्प्रदायः, romanized: Śāktasampradāyaḥ) is a major Hindu denomination in which the ultimate reality is considered as Adi Parashakti.

In Shaktism, the divine feminine energy, Shakti, is revered as the supreme power and is personified as the Mahadevi (Great Goddess), who manifests in numerous forms, with each form having distinct functions and unique attributes. The most prominently worshiped goddesses include Durga, the fierce protector who vanquishes evil and restores cosmic order; Parvati, the gentle yet powerful mother goddess of fertility, devotion, and spiritual wisdom; and Kali, the primal force of time and transformation. Additionally, Shaktism reveres a broader pantheon, including goddesses like Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and arts; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity; and Tripura Sundari, the goddess of beauty and grace. Also honoured are the various Gramadevata, local village guardian deities, who protect and bless their communities. Following the decline of Buddhism in India, elements of Hindu and Buddhist goddess worship gradually merged, culminating in the emergence of the Mahavidya, a revered group of ten fierce and esoteric goddesses central to the tantric traditions within Shaktism.

Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, IAST: Cāmuṇḍā), also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu mother goddess, Mahadevi and is one of the seven Matrikas.

She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Parvati. The name is a combination of Chanda and Munda, two demons whom Chamunda killed. She is closely associated with Mahakali or Durga.

Devī (/ˈdeɪvi/; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is deva. Devi and deva mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Indian religions, such as Hinduism and its offshoots like Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

The concept of reverence for feminine manifestation of goddesses in Hinduism and its offshoots appears in the Vedas, which were composed around the 2nd millennium BCE. However, they did not play a vital role in that era. Goddesses such as Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, Parvati, Radha, Saraswati and Sita have continued to be revered in the modern era. The medieval era Puranas witness a major expansion in mythology and literature associated with Devi, with texts such as the Devi Mahatmya, wherein she manifests as the ultimate truth and supreme power. She has inspired the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. Further, Devi is viewed as central in the Hindu traditions of Shaktism and Shaivism.

Mahadevi (Sanskrit: महादेवी, IAST: Mahādevī), also referred to as Devi, Mahamaya and Adi Parashakti, is the supreme goddess in Hinduism. According to the goddess-centric sect Shaktism, all Hindu gods and goddesses are considered to be manifestations of this great goddess, who is considered to be the Para Brahman or the ultimate reality.

Shaktas often worship her as Durga, also believing her to have many other forms. Mahadevi is mentioned as the Mulaprakriti (Primordial Goddess) in Shakta texts, having five primary forms—Parvati, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Gayatri and Radha—collectively referred to as Panchaprakriti. Besides these, Goddess Tripura Sundari, a form of Devi, is often identified with the supreme goddess Mahadevi in Shaktism. Author Helen T. Boursier says: "In Hindu philosophy, both Lakshmi (primary goddess in Vaishnavism) and Parvati (primary goddess of Shaivism) are identified as manifestations of this great goddess—Mahadevi—and the Shakti or divine power".

Parameshvara (IAST: Parameśvara, Sanskrit: परमेश्वर) is an epithet used in Hindu literature. The term indicates the Supreme Being and Supreme Reality in Hinduism. Vaishnavas consider Vishnu and his avatars, such as Rama and Krishna as Parameshvara, while Shaivas consider Shiva as Parameshvara. In Shaktism, he plays a supporting role and is dependent on Parameshvari, that is the Adi Shakti/Mahadevi (known for her forms such as Durga, Tripura Sundari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati etc). Shakta traditions are focused on Parameshvari's superiority over Parameshvara, comparisons going as far as to calling Parameshwara a Shava (dead body) without Parameshwari (The supreme moving force of the universe). Whereas in Shaivism and Vaishnavism, she is considered the dependant consort of Parameshvara (as Uma/Sati/Parvati consort of Shiva in Shaivism and Lakshmi consort of Vishnu in Vaishnavism). Beyond sectarian interpretations, Hindus regard Parameshvara as the ultimate and highest reality, eternally pervading all matter. He is regarded by devotees to be totality itself, controlling the triple forces of creation, preservation, and destruction.

Parvati (Sanskrit: पार्वती, IAST: Pārvatī), also known as Uma (Sanskrit: उमा, IAST: Umā) and Gauri (Sanskrit: गौरी, IAST: Gaurī), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. Along with Lakshmi and Sarasvati, she forms the trinity, known as the Tridevi.

From her first appearance as a goddess during the epic period (400 BCE – 400 CE), Parvati is primarily depicted as the consort of the god Shiva. According to various Puranas, Parvati is the reincarnation of Sati, Shiva's first wife, who relinquished her body to sever familial ties with her father, Daksha, after he had insulted Shiva. Parvati is often equated with the other goddesses such as Sati, Uma, Kali and Durga and due to this close connection, they are often treated as one and the same, with their stories frequently overlapping. In Hindu mythology, the birth of Parvati to the mountain lord Himavan and his wife Mena is primarily understood as a cosmic event meant to lure Shiva out of his ascetic withdrawal and into the realm of marriage and household life. As Shiva's wife, Parvati represents the life-affirming, creative force that complements Shiva's austere, world-denying nature, thus balancing the two poles of asceticism and householder life in Hindu philosophy. Parvati's role as wife and mother is central to her mythological persona, where she embodies the ideal of the devoted spouse who both supports and expands her husband's realm of influence. Parvati is also noted for her motherhood, being the mother of the prominent Hindu deities Ganesha and Kartikeya.

Durga Puja (ISO: Durgā Pūjā, Assamese pronunciation: [duɹɡäpuzä] , Bengali pronunciation: [d̪uɾɡapud͡ʒa] ), also known as Durgotsava or Sharadotsava, is a major Hindu festival honouring the goddess Durga and commemorating her victory over Mahishasura. In 2021, 'Durga Puja in Kolkata' was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The festival is observed in the Indian calendar in the month of Ashvin (September–October) on the Hindu luni-solar calendar. It lasts ten days, with the final five being most prominent. Even though Durga Puja and Navaratri are both dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga and are observed simultaneously, they are not the same festival.