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Mahishasura's father Rambha was king of the asuras, and he once fell in love with Princess Mahishi, who was cursed to be a water buffalo; Mahishasura was born out of this union. He is, therefore, able to change between human and buffalo form at will (<i>mahisha</i> is Sanskrit word for buffalo).
Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese people throughout the globe. It is also celebrated by many Hindus elsewhere. Dashain symbolizes the victory of good over evil.<br/><br/> For followers of Shaktism, it represents the victory of the goddess Parvati. In Hindu mythology, the demon Mahishasura had created terror in the devaloka (the world where gods live ) but Durga killed the demon. The first nine days of Dashain symbolizes the battle which took place between the different manifestations of Durga and Mahishasura. The tenth day is the day when Durga finally defeated him. For other Hindus, this festival symbolizes the victory of Rama over Ravana as recounted in the Ramayana.<br/><br/> Buddhists Nepal celebrate Dashain to commemorate Ashoka's adoption of ahimsa and Buddhism.<br/><br/> Kathmandu is an unexpected and extravagant mixture of peoples and religions, child-goddesses, bare-foot porters padding in back alleys, and sacred cows. The Kathmandu most people come to see is the Old City, a tangled network of narrow alleys, stores and temples located around central Durbar Square.
Durga Puja, also referred to as Durgotsava or Sharadotsav is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami and Vijayadashami.<br/><br/> The Durga Puja festival marks the victory of the Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. Thus, the Durga Puja festival epitomises the victory of Good over Evil. In Bengal, Durga is worshipped as Durgotinashini, the destroyer of evil and the protector of her devotees.
Durga Puja, also referred to as Durgotsava or Sharadotsav is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami and Vijayadashami.<br/><br/> The Durga Puja festival marks the victory of the Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. Thus, the Durga Puja festival epitomises the victory of Good over Evil. In Bengal, Durga is worshipped as Durgotinashini, the destroyer of evil and the protector of her devotees.
The Goddess Durga, fighting Mahishasura, the buffalo-demon (Hindu Mythology). In the clouds the Devas or celestial beings are seen watching the event. The story is recorded in the Devi Mahatmya and the Devi Bhagavata and is the background for Durgapuja, the annual Hindu festival each autumn.<br/><br/> In Hinduism, Durga is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eight arms, riding a lion or a tiger, carrying weapons and a lotus flower, maintaining a meditative smile, and practicing mudras, or symbolic hand gestures.<br/><br/> An embodiment of creative feminine force (Shakti), Durga exists in a state of svātantrya (independence from the universe and anything/anybody else) and fierce compassion. Kali is considered by Hindus to be an aspect of Durga. She is thus considered the fiercer, demon-fighting form of Shiva's wife, goddess Parvati. Durga manifests fearlessness and patience, and never loses her sense of humour, even during spiritual battles of epic proportion.<br/><br/> At the Durga Puja festival, Durga is celebrated as the mother of Ganesha, Kartikeya, Lakshmi and Saraswati.
Durga (meaning 'the inaccessible' or 'the invincible'), is the most popular incarnation of Devi and one of the main forms of the Goddess Shakti in the Hindu pantheon. Durga is the original manifested form of Mother Parvati or Adi-Parashakti.<br/><br/> The most revered Hindu site in Nepal is the extensive Pashupatinath Temple complex, five kilometres east of central Kathmandu. The focus of devotion here is a large silver Shivalingam with four faces of Shiva carved on its sides, making it a 'Chaturmukhi-Linga', or four-faced Shivalingam. Pashupati is one of Shiva’s 1,008 names, his manifestation as 'Lord of all Beasts' (pashu means 'beasts', pati means 'lord'); he is considered the guardian deity of Nepal.<br/><br/> The main temple building around the Shivalingam was built under King Birpalendra Malla in 1696, however the temple is said to have already existed before 533 CE. In 733 CE, King Jayadeva II erected in its precincts a stone tablet which chronicled all the kings of Nepal, beginning with the sun god. During the Muslim raids of 1349 the temple was largely destroyed, but in 1381 Jayasinharama Varddhana of Banepa restored it. Further renovations were conducted towards the end of the Malla period, and the latest extensive improvements were made in 1967.<br/><br/> Since the temple's inception, all the rulers of Nepal have taken great pains to pay their respects to it, to make donations, and to finance extensions.