Chamunda

A Yogini who is a fierce form of Shakti in Tantrism, One of the Sapta Matrikas

 

I was traveling through Polo forest area. One of my staff told me about historic temple of Vireshwar Mahadev near the main road of Vijaynagar tehsil of Sabarkantha District.
So, I went their to visit the temple. In the north east side of main temple ruins is a beautiful and mysterious sculpture laying in open. It is revered by locals as a goddess. I was confused and feel that it may be of some yogini.
To get more info, I share this pic on one of Facebook group of heritage lovers and researchers.

It found to be image of the fierce or emaciated form of Devi known as Chamunda/Charchari and the face probably depicts Mahamaya…one of the seven matrikas.
Her ribs are flaring out and Scorpion coming our form her belly.

The hands of the Shadbhuja Devi are with Naga, trishula, Vismaya(?) hasta on right side ; damaruga, khatvanga and Kapala(?)patra on left side…..
the corpse as a vehicle is very clearly seen below.

Virtually all of the royal powers in the Deccan-especially between least the 9th-13th century-anchor at least part of the royal cult around the veneration of such a goddess. Initiates into the Śākta tantras (which included many of these same kings) would then mentally project onto the image through visualization practices the specific iconography of the esoteric deity [Kubjikā, Kālasaṁkarṣiṇī etc] associated with the paddhati they followed.

Image is from 11-12th century as that of the age of temple.

[ 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 Durga.The name is a combination of Chanda and Munda, two monsters whom Chamunda killed. She is closely associated with Kali, another fierce aspect of Devi. She is sometimes identified with goddesses Parvati, Chandior Durga as well.
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, a snake, skull-mace (khatvanga), thunderbolt, a severed head and panapatra (drinking vessel, wine cup) or skull-cup (kapala), filled with blood. Standing on a corpse of a man (shava or preta) or seated on a defeated demon or corpse (pretasana). Chamunda is depicted adorned by ornaments of bones, skulls, serpents. She also wears a Yajnopavita (a sacred thread worn by mostly Hindu priests) of skulls. She wears a jata mukuta, that is, headdress formed of piled, matted hair tied with snakes or skull ornaments. Sometimes, a crescent moon is seen on her head. Her socket eyes are described as so intense that it burns the evil of all three worlds. She is accompanied by fiends and goblins. She is also shown to be surrounded by skeletons or ghosts and beasts like jackals, who are shown eating the flesh of the corpse which the goddess sits or stands on. The jackal are her fearsome companions. The severed head and corpse represents the severing of the ego. The corpse hence is conquered by the Devi, showing that the Ego is conquered. The symbolism of the Devi is made as to where one is given the impression of the reality of life. This form as well as many of the other Eight Matrikas all show the reality of life. They show the bareness, non sugar coated version of reality.At times, she is depicted seated on a Preta, her vahana (mount or vehicle).

From: Wikipedia]