 In an unsurpassed luminousness, a dazzling light in space was formed and Devi Durga emerged with ten hands, each decked with a weapon riding a lion. This form is aptly called Mahishasura Mardini, that is the annihilation of the buffalo demon. And so, Devi Durga is worshipped through the ages for all that is moral, exemplary and righteous, equated against all that is immoral and heinous. The clay idols are made of 64 different materials including clay, straw, bamboo, thread, pith, iron nails and watercolour. As the junior artists work with the main body, the face is created by exclusive artists or clay artisans. However, the face of the Durga idol was hardly this benign to begin with. In the beginning, the face was much bigger, the eyes were angrier and stretched almost to the ear and also appeared rather enraged. The Durga festival was characteristic of a few aristocratic families almost two centuries back. It was the domain of the elite. The first big Durga festival was organised by the Deib family. Many historians suggest that the Durga festival was often used as a pretext to entertain the English rulers and aristocrats in lieu of certain business favours. European influences are still dominant in the idols of Durga, the predominance of pink, the use of Mongolian yellow or just the pinkish hue of the European ladies. The aquiline nose is also primarily an English feature. It does not mean that the character of the Durga was also a product of this cultural fusion. The goddess exists, as she always did, firmly within the traditional stories of Indian mythology. 1971 saw the birth of Bangladesh. The phenomenon witnessed a large exodus of people crossing over to India to take refuge. The new Durga became kinder, merciful and domesticated. She would salvage and safeguard. Shunning her resplendent ornaments, the goddess became the village mother. This was a goddess that would relieve her children of misery. This was not the end of her unfolding form. 1980 onwards, globalization took over and living standards started spiraling with growth and development. The idols of goddess Durga became glamorous and grandeur took centre stage. Experimental idols were made since the late 1960s. The youth worldwide started questioning the validity of everything. It was natural that they would also question the making of the idols with clay. Durga has now gone global. Durga idols can easily be seen worshipped in London, Paris, Rome, New York, Washington, Tokyo. You name the city. She has spread her blessings to every corner of the planet.