Navratri 2024: The day of Mata Kushmanda, the Goddess of divine laughter

Just like that, we have nearly arrived at the half-way point of this holy and celebratory 9-day stretch. What better way then, to kickstart a day of devotion and celebration, than with the legend of Mata Kushmanda. The fourth of the Navadurgas, Her tale is sure to leave you feeling Read on.
Nearly every syllable of Mata Kushmanda’s name, is ripe with religious significance. The ‘Ku’ refers to ‘a little’, ‘ushma’ refers to ‘warmth’, while ‘anda’ refers to the cosmic egg. You must have heard of the saying ‘a little goes a long way’ and there possibly couldn’t be a better divine specimen of this than Mata Kushmanda’s legacy. The lore goes that by momentarily flashing her smile, Mata Kushmanda spun the revival of the whole Universe. The events leading up to this begin with the tapas of two demons Mali and Sumali, who were in a bid to impress Lord Shiva. Their tapas had been so intent, that their bodies had begun glowing — so much so, that it sparked curiosity in Suryadev. Not being able to contain his curiosity, Suryadev abandoned his celestial position and moved closer to earth to see Mali and Sumali for Himself. However, doing so, burnt the demons’ bodies to ashes, something which angered Lord Shiva. In a fit of rage, He threw His trishul towards Him, leading to his demise. As a result, the entire Universe was plunged in darkness. Realising the gravity of what He had done, Lord Shiva approached Parvati. Not only did Parvati manage to restore light to the whole Universe, but by the creation of Amrit, also brought back Suryadev to life. As a matter of fact, it is believed that it is She who energises the Sun to spread its light to the Universe.
Spiritually, Mata Kushmanda also presides over the Anahata chakra or the heart chakra which is associated with love, compassion and kindness. These facets tie in seamlessly with the essence of vitality and life force that the Goddess embodies.
You can honour Mata Kushmanda by including something orange in your attire for the day. Chanting ‘Om Devi Kushmandayai Namah’ and:
‘Surasampurna Kalasham Rudhiraplutameva Cha |
Dadhana Hastapadmabhyam Kushmanda Shubhadastu Me ||’,
in congruence with a very specific offering of malpua. Doing so, is said to sharpen one’s intellect and decision-making abilities significantly — a potent set of blessings from Mata Kushmanda.
Shubh Navratri!