DURGA, one of the many cult-titles of Devi, "the Goddess," in Hindu mythology. Durga first appears in the Epics, as a name of Uma, wife of Siva (q.v.), and she may have been originally worshipped by savage aborigines. She is also a manifestation of Kali (q.v.), and the hook-swinging rite of self-devotion is done in her honour. One of her principal festivals, as a war-goddess, is the Durga-puja (see DAsEHRA). Durga is pictured, in spite of her fierce nature, with a gentle face.