This is Mahishasuramardhini (The Goddess who killed the Asura called Mahisha). For more information on this Goddess, please see another blog on this website. Mardhini for short.

Here, Mardhini is eight-armed and holds an arrow, a sword, a chakra, a conch, a shield, and a bow in her hands, starting lower right. These weapons were given by various Gods to help her vanquish the demon Mahisha.

Mahisha assumed the form of a buffalo to terrorise everyone, including the gods.  Mardhini embarks on a battle and severs the buffalo’s head,  seen lying on her left side. With her lower left hand, she pulls Mahisha out of the buffalo’s body to kill him.

This bronze captures the moment when she is about to plunge Trishul (missing from her right hand) into Mahisha. Mahisha is getting ready to fight back with a drawn sword and shield.  Mardhini’s vahana, a lion, is on her right.

This bronze would slide into a groove of a base, Peetha. The base and the backplate, Prabhavali, are missing. For a complete example, please see another Mardhini on this site.

This bronze is 9.5 cm in height and is from North Deccan. This may not date prior to the nineteenth century.