There are different varieties of images of goddess Durga in India. Amongst these the icon of Mahisasura Mardini is the quite popular in West Bengal. From an early time the image of Mahisasura Mardini came to be accepted as the iconic model of the composite clay image in the annual autumnal Durga worship in West Bengal. An iconography of Mahisasura Mardini represents the goddess as having eight arms. The face of the goddess has been mutilated and the form is shown as fighting vigorously with the demon partially issuing out of the decapitated trunk of a buffalo, in the alidha pose with her right and left legs planted firmly on the buffalo and the pedestal respectively, while the head of the lion is shown to the right pounding on the hind portion of the buffalo. If the eight arms of the goddess are considered in a clockwise direction the arms carries disc, trident, arrow, sword, tarjani mudra, the tuft of the hair of the demon, shield and a bow.

According to the Agni Purana the goddess should hold the demon by hair in one of her hands. This particular iconography of the goddess has a low-profile decoration and most of them have the traces of the flying gandharvas. The prabhavati is shown at the top along with a few scratching. There are two marks on the body of the buffalo. The entire iconography is known for its simple and elegant composition and carving. In fact it can be said that this particular iconography of the goddess is very graceful.

Besides the eight armed image of the goddess the most commonly worshipped image of the goddess is the ten-armed deity. The iconography of the ten-armed deity is represented with elaborate jatamukuta and is shown as fighting vigorously with the demon in pratyalidha pose with the left and right legs placed on the decapitated buffalo and the lion respectively. The booted right leg of the demon is thrown at the mouth of the pouncing dragon shaped lion, while the other leg is still within the trunk of the buffalo. The two-armed asura on the other hand is represented in a helpless situation where he opens the sword from the case and is in a pitiable state because of being attacked at the chest with the trident of the goddess.

The attributes of the ten arms of the goddess in the clockwise direction are as follows trisula, the second hand from the clockwise direction is broken, arrow, chakra, khadga, again the sixth hand is broken and only little traces of nagapasha are visible in the seventh hand, shield, dhanu, parasu and the tenth hand bears ankusa or elephant`s goad.

The iconography of the goddess also includes two miniature companions of the demons which are shown attacking the goddess from either side. The goddess that is Mahisasura Mardini is shown elaborately decorated with the halo of flames surrounding her. The Krittimukha with the usual flying gandharvas on either side is shown at the pointed end of the stele. The entire panel is placed on a double petalled lotus on a nava ratna pedestal.

The middle tier of the pedestal is also profusely decorated.

Another iconography of the goddess shows the ten-armed deity attacking the demon in a pratyalidha pose. Just like the previous iconography this particular image of the goddess includes a dragon shaped lion in a pouncing pose. Again in this particular image of the goddess if the ten arms of the deity are considered in the clockwise direction it will be seen that the arms carries the following things like trisula, khetaka, arrow, chakra, khadga, aksamala, dhanu, anuska, parasu and the tenth hand of the goddess bears a nagapasa.

The face of the goddess is partially erased, she is represented wearing a jatamukuta and her body is heavily ornamented. The asura who accompanies the goddess is decorated with a crown and he is represented in such a position that he is just about to draw his sword. About this iconography of Mahisasur Mardini it can be said that the goddess displays more sophistication and elegance than the dokra works.