The eight-armed-goddess, Hindu art print

The goddess with eight arms, in the heat of battle. Crowned and dressed in red and gold, the goddess rides a roaring lion, her eight arms brandishing swords, a trident and other weapons. Beneath the lion lie the defeated: the buffalo whose form the demon Mahishasura had taken, and the demon himself in human shape, sword and shield still in hand. The whole scene bursts with colour, movement and fury.

Ashtabhuja Devi, “the eight-armed goddess”, is Durga, the warrior form of the Great Goddess in Hinduism. According to the Devi Mahatmya, the gods created her to defeat Mahishasura, a demon who could not be killed by any man or god. Her victory is celebrated every autumn during Navaratri and Durga Puja.

Why it works on your wall

• Vibrant and powerful: red, gold and green for a living room, a yoga room or an entrance
• A masterpiece of Indian art: a symbol of strength and of the victory of good over evil
• Framing tip: a gold or dark wood frame echoes the richness of the colours

Raja Ravi Varma

Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906) is considered the father of modern Indian painting. He combined Indian subjects with European oil technique, and in 1894 founded a lithographic press that printed his images of gods and goddesses in colour, bringing them into homes all over India. Read more in our article on Ravi Varma, the pioneer of modern Indian art.

• Artist: Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906)
• Technique: chromolithograph, Ravi Varma Press
• Date: late 19th–early 20th century
• Theme: Durga, Hindu mythology, Mahishasura

Your print

• Colours restored from a high-definition scan of the original
• Printed in Europe on thick archival matte paper, FSC certified
• From A4 to A0, plus 40×60, 50×70, 60×90 and 70×100 cm and 12×18 to 27×40 inch sizes, all made for standard frames
• Free shipping, no minimum order. Shipped rolled in a sturdy tube

Pair it with Ravi Varma’s Lady with a Fruit, or explore our mythology wall art.