| Rana P. B. Singh Dept.of Geography B.H.U.,Varanasi,India |
John McKim Malville Univ.of Colorado Boulder,CO, USA |
Ravi S. Singh R. F College Changlang, India |
Kashi/ Varanasi, the patron city of Lord Siva also possesses the different for
manifestations. These are reflected in the context of multiplicity of layers,
ordering, locations, hierophany, manifestations,and.....,so on. The fourth can
source which eulogized the sites, forms and glories of the major 252 forms of
the Goddess, categorized into Nine groups : (1) 8 Matrikas, motherly forms,(2)
9 Durgas,protecting the holy territory, (3) 9 Chandis, giver of energy, (4)
9 Gauris, giver of motherly blessing, (5) 10 Mahavidyas, giver of sacred
knowledge, (6) 10 Mahadevis, directional protectors,(7) 42 Chandikas, giver of
energy alongwith her associates,(8) 64 Yoginis, demi-goddesses, and (9) 91
Shaktis, giver of power. With the support of mythologies and the locational
charactereistics the cosmology and complexity of feminine spirit are narrated
in this paper.