Katyayani

Katyayani is the sixth Navadurga and is worshipped on the sixth night of Navaratri. Tradition names her as the daughter of the sage Katyayana, and holds that she took form from the gathered radiance of the gods to destroy Mahishasura, the buffalo demon. She is therefore the Mahishasuramardini of the Devi Mahatmya story. The Bhagavata Purana also describes the young women of Vraja worshipping Katyayani in the hope of gaining Krishna as husband, which is why she is linked with marriage prayers.

She has four arms and rides a lion. One hand holds a sword, another a lotus, and the other two show gestures of fearlessness and giving. Her body is described as golden and her colour in the Navaratri scheme is orange or grey. Honey is her offering and the red rose is her flower. Her mantra Om Devi Katyayanyai Namah salutes the goddess, and tradition associates her with the Ajna chakra at the brow.

Worship is held in the evening, with a lamp and red flowers. Marriage-related fasting among unmarried women is a local custom in some regions, but the form is also honoured for her role as a warrior. Her name is recorded in different Sanskrit texts and accounts of her birth vary between them.