Goddess Durga, also known as Parvati or Lalitha, is the wife of Lord Shiva and exists in various divine forms. Two of her fierce but very powerful forms are Durga i.e. goddess beyond reach and Kali i.e. goddess of destruction. Both have great power and energy i.e. Shakti. Durga rides on a lion and Kali rides on a corpse of a demon. Parvati was called Sati in her previous divine incarnation. The family of Lord Shiva, Parvati and their sons Ganesha and Kartikeya is an ideal example of family unity and love. Goddess Durga has a charming personality and usually adored by married women for a happy married life.

The feminine aspect of divinity or expression of energy is referred to as Shakti. Parvati who is wife of Lord Shiva and Goddess Lakshmi who is wife of Vishnu is respected in temples dedicated to Shakti. There is a large number of Durga Temples in India scattered in every nook and corner. Some of the famous ones are Mahalakshmi temple, Kanyakumari, Kalikambal, Kamakshi Amman, Vaishno Devi, etc. Some of the other mentioned temples are Lakha Mandal Temple in Dehradun and Srisailam Temple in Kurnool.

The true expression of the supreme energy that runs the universe, the Ma Durga, is worshipped in the Durga temples in India. The Durga temples help the Hindu culture, religion and philosophy to flourish further. In addition to that, these also help the Hindu community to display and learn a number of characters possessed by Ma Durga by participating in customs, rituals and a variety of other activities, organised in the temples.