In the small Pahari kingdoms of North India, the Great Goddess, Devi was one of the most popular Hindu deities. The sacred text, the Devi Mahatmaya, describes her great exploits and her victories over the demons who could not be vanquished by any of the powerful male gods. It was often recited by preists at religious functions and frequently illustrated fro the royal families. This colorful and dynamic scene illustrates the second major battle of Devi, in her ferocious emanation as Kali, as she attacks the demon generals Chanda and Munda. At the upper left, the dark-skinned, skeleton-like goddess is seen again in front of the fair-skinned, multi-armed goddess Chandika. As Kali reports her victory, Chandika gives her a new appelation of Chamunda, combining the names of the destroyed demon generals.

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