The Goddess Durga

The goddess worshipped at the serene Durga Mandir just outside Princeton, New Jersey, is the same goddess worshipped throughout India. She is known as both a mother and a warrior and is one of the most ancient of Hindu gods.  Durga has continued until today as a very widely worshipped deity in many parts of India. Tradition holds that the male gods created this goddess in order to vanquish a demon they were unable to control. In some parts of India and abroad, Durga has been domesticated as the consort to Shiva, but in others her wild, fierce aspect is still predominant.

The goddess Durga is as beautiful as she is deadly. This ‘invincible one,’ as her name denotes, is indeed formidable, for in her eight hands she brandishes ancient, terrifying weapons.  In each bloody battle Durga majestically slays any demon before her; she is the personification of both power and grace. This particular goddess is intriguing because of the contradictions that converge in her.  She is stunningly beautiful yet bested by no one—no male—in battle. She is a virgin yet at the same time wife and mother to some of the most powerful and popular gods in the Hindu system.  This is the only Durga temple in the tri-state area, and one of the few spaces that feature the worship of the goddess in the United States.

Since May 2001 the Durga Mandir has been situated in a compound on Route 27 in New Brunswick.  It is a tranquil place, positioned just off the road and surrounded on three sides by tall trees.  In front of the main large worship area are two smaller buildings nearer the street.  One is a community space for dance classes and dining.  The other houses the priests, who are responsible for the care of the deities and the daily pujas [worship in which offerings are made] of the devotees.  These three simple buildings look out across a wide street and expansive parking lot towards a strip mall—seemingly worlds away.

Within the large main sanctuary, an immense Durga, dressed in pink and gold, sits regally atop her fierce tiger.  Along the walls, on either side of the goddess, can be seen half a dozen groups are other deities, much smaller in stature than she.  Durga dominates this space.  The mood here contrasts with that of other Hindu temples.  Often the atmosphere within a temple is bustling and exciting, full of activity.  The Durga Mandir is quite different—calm and quiet even at its busiest.

The sexes are about evenly represented here, and ages run the gamut.  There are plenty of teenagers and children as well as elderly people actively involved in the rituals—singing, taking and giving prasad [food retrieved from the altar and shared with worshippers], and performing aarti [worship where a flame is moved in a circular fashion] for the goddess. Worshipers in the Durga temple come from many parts of India, but from Gujarat and Maharashtra in particular.  Not all identify themselves as special devotees of the goddess Durga, but for those who are, this temple is an especially welcoming space within the diaspora.