Durga Maa Statue

Sharad Navratri falls in September–October each year, and Ghatasthapana (day one) is the traditional installation moment. A hand-carved Durga statue takes 30 to 90 days depending on size, arm count and detailing — a 24-inch seated Sherawali runs roughly 45 days, a 4-foot Ashtabhuja Mahishasura Mardini closer to 90. To reach you before Sharad Navratri 2026 (mid-October), we recommend placing orders by early June. Add two to four weeks for international shipping. For Chaitra Navratri in March–April, order by January to allow carving plus safe delivery.

For a large multi-armed Durga, marble density matters more than colour. Makrana marble — especially the Doongri and Kumari grades — has the tightly packed grain needed to support outward-projecting arms and raised weapons without micro-fracture over decades; it is our first recommendation for anything above 24 inches. Vietnam White is softer and carves crisper facial expression, so we prefer it for smaller seated Durgas where the mother-face carries the piece. Bhainslana's warm golden undertone suits Sherawali devotees who want a Durga in dawn-lit hues rather than pure white.

Durga belongs in the North-East (Ishaan) corner of the home — the sacred zone of divine energy — with her face turned East so devotees performing puja face West. North-facing is also acceptable. Always elevate the murti on a chowki or pedestal draped with a clean red or yellow cloth (Maa's colours); never place her directly on the floor. Avoid the bedroom (Durga's shakti is martial, not domestic), bathroom-adjacent walls, the kitchen and spaces under staircases. A dedicated puja room or a clean living-room shrine is ideal.

Each weapon in Ashtabhuja Durga's hands was gifted by a different deva when the gods pooled their tejas to create her. The trishul is Shiva's, piercing Mahishasura's chest. The sudarshan chakra is Vishnu's, symbolising righteous order. The shankh is Varuna's — the sound of dharma. The gada is Kubera's for wealth-power, the dhanush and baan are Vayu's for precision, and the khadga carries Kali's swift decisiveness. The raised hand in abhaya mudra is Brahma's promise of fearlessness. An authentic Durga statue carries every weapon correctly identified in the right hand.

The fragile zones on a Durga statue are the outward-projecting weapons, the ornaments on each arm, and the mane and paws of the lion vahana. Dust weekly with a soft dry natural-hair brush — a shaving brush reaches the tight undercuts between weapons and fingers where a cloth cannot. Wipe the smooth body with a barely damp muslin, then dry immediately. Never use citrus, vinegar or acidic cleaners — they etch marble permanently. If Swarna Karya gold leaf or mineral pigments have been applied to the saree, dust only, never wipe. PLPS ships a care card with every statue.