Durga-ammai

Durga - The Supreme power

In Hinduism, one of the forms of the goddess Shakti, and the wife of Shiva. She was born fully grown, created out of flames that issued from the mouths of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and other gods and embodying their collective energy (shakti). They created her to slay the buffalo-demon Mahisasura, whom they were unable to overcome. She is usually depicted riding a lion or tiger, each of her multiple arms bearing a weapon.

According to Markandeya puranam, form of Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight a demon. The demon's father Rambha, king of the demons, once fell in love with a water buffalo, and Mahish Asur (the demon Mahish) was born out of this union. He is therefore able to change between human and buffalo form at will (mahish means "buffalo"). Through intense prayers to Brahma, Mahishasur had the boon that he could not be defeated by any man or god. He unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether worlds.

Since only a woman could kill him, upon the great pooja's held, the holy male trinity were bestowed a dazzling beam of energy which transformed into one generic goddess, Durga. She was born fully grown. Her form was fully bright, beautiful with 3 eyes and 10 hands, lush hair with beautiful curls, a red-golden glow from her skin and a quarter moon on her forehead. She wears a shiny oceanic blue attire emitting fierce rays. Her ornaments were carved beautifully of gold, with ocean pearls and precious stones embedded in it. Her face was sculpted by Shiva, torso(trunk) by Indra, breasts by Nila (the moon), teeth by Brahma, bottom by the Earth, thighs and knees by tanni (water), and her three eyes by agni (fire). Each god also gave her their own most powerful weapons, Rudra's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandal, Kuber's gada, etc. Himalayas gifted her a fierce whitish golden lion. On the end of the 8th and beginning of the 9th day of waxing moon, Chanda and Munda came to fight the goddess. She turned blue with anger and goddess Chamunda leaped out of her third eye. Her form was the most powerful one with 3 red eyes, blood-filled tongue and dark skin; who finally killed the twin demons with her sword. Finally on the tenth day of waxing moon, goddess Durga killed Mahishasura with her trident. The day of Durga's victory is celebrated as Vijaya Dashmi

The actual period of the worship however may be on the preceding nine days followed by the last day called Vijayadashami in North India or five days in Bengal, (from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing-moon fortnight). Nine aspects of Durga known as Navadurga are meditated upon, one by one during the nine-day festival by devout shakti worshippers.

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For reference:

List of Durga temples in India

• DurgaKund Temple in Varanasi , the biggest of all durga temples
• Matrimandir in the city of Auroville near Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu.
• Sri Durga Parameshwari Mata Mandir,Karla
• Ambika Mata Temple in the village of Jagat near Mount Abu in Rajasthan, India.
• Bhairabi Devalaya, in Tezpur, Assam
• Sri Vijaya Durga Saunsthan, Keri, GOA
• Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Kateel, Karnataka
• Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Kamalashile, Karnataka
• Sri Durga Temple, Kunjarugiri, Udupi, Karnataka
• Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Talapady, Karnataka
• Mahishamardhini Temple, Kadiyali, Udupi, Karnataka
• Shree Durga Parameshwari Temple, Mundkur, Karnataka
• Shree Durga Parameshwari Temple, Bayer, Kasargod dt. Kerela
• Kalighat Temple, Kolkata.
• Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam
• Devi Dol, Sibsagar, Assam
• Devi Dol, Gaurisagar, Assam
• Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
• Amba Bhavani Temple, Tuljapur, Maharashtra
• Shanta Durga temple in Goa
• Sri Patteeshwaram Durgai Temple. (Believed to be worshipped by Great Chola Dynasty before any war.) Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
• Sri Kathiraamangalam Temple (Goddess is Swayamboo and Many sages did their Japa's here, including Guru Dhronacharya.) Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
• Shri Vindhyavasini Temple, Vindhyachal
• Shri Bramarambika Temple, Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
• Shri Maha Kaleshwari Temple, UJJAIN, Madhya Pradesh
• Shri Jogulamba Temple,Alampur, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh
• Shri Gnana Prasunaambika Temple, Srikalahasti, Andhra
• Shri Siddha Peeth Durga Devi Temple, Kasi/Varanasi, Uttar PRADESH
• Shri Mahishashuramardhini Temple, Thiruthani, Tamil Nadu
• Shri Maihar Devi, Maihar, Madhya Pradesh
• Shri Annapurna Devi Temple, Kashi/Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
• Shri Vaishno Devi, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir
• Jamwa Mata temple at Jamwa Ramgarh district Jaipur Rajasthan
• Shila Devi temple at Amber Jaipur Rajasthan
• Sri Katyayani Peeth Temple at Vrindaban.
• Sri Adya Katyayani Mandir,Chattarpur, New Delhi
• Sri Kalka Ji Mandir,Kalkaji, New Delhi
• Sri Sheetla Mata Mandir,Gurgaon
• Thrikkavu Shri Durga Bhagavathy Temple,Ponnani,Kerala[1]
• Amba Mata Temple, Mount Girnar, Junagadh, Gujarat [and here she is mounted on a lion]

Useful tips:
Worshipping durga and lighting diya using ghee is considered to be very purest form of performing pooja during raghu kaalam. As Durga is a form a light energy, it is expected to perform lighting diya with pure form of oil namely ghee.