Goddess Chamunda of Nepal Making the Bindu Mudra

Amongst the innumerable Nepalese representations of the Great Goddess in her terrifying forms, this arresting image of Devi Chamunda is one of the most fearsome, macabre and iconographically complex. The very epitome of horror, the emaciated goddess squats on five skulls placed on a blooming lotus. A serpent froom the turbulent waters below exhales a torrent of flames which leap up to frame the goddess. The dense smoke from these poisnous flames has totally blackened the upper part of the painting.

The goddess' dishevelled hair is bound by an elaborate tiara studded with precious gems, lined at her forehead with five skulls. She is visibly displeased and grimaces, her eyes staring straight at the viewer. Nevertheless, she is the Supreme Goddess. Hence, she wears an enormous amount of conventional jewelry in addition to the long necklace of human heads. A profusion of gold ornaments fall down her scrawny neck, and she is also adorned with armlets, bracelets, foot ornaments and a prominent girdle.

Chamunda Devi is eight-armed. The right hands hold the sword, damaru, victory banner and skull cup respectively. The left hold the shield, khatavanga and noose. The last left hand, held in front of her chest makes the unique mudra known in Nepal as 'Bindu Mudra', in which a circle is formed with the thumb and index finger. This esoteric mudra signifies the flicking of drops of blood as an acceptable Tantric offerring.

The name Chamunda is derived from the two words Chanda and Munda. These are the names of two powerful demons who were vanquished by the Great Goddess. This story is narrated in detail in the Devi Mahatmya (Markandeya Purana).

Click Here to View the Thangka Painting along with its Brocade

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