When people hear the phrase “goddesses from Indian mythology,” the names that surface most quickly are Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, or Kali-the goddesses who dominate temples, festivals, and collective memory. But India has always been home to hundreds of other goddesses-fierce, local, nurturing, protective, and wild-whose stories rarely find space in mainstream narratives. They are the unsung goddesses of India, woven into Itihasa, folklore, ritual, and oral tradition, yet often overshadowed by the larger deities.
Beyond the Famous Names
The Indian spiritual imagination has never been a closed canon. From village shrines to sacred groves, goddesses take forms that reflect the land, community, and cultural needs of the people. They may not appear in the popular retellings of Indian mythology, but their presence is undeniable.
1. Mariamman (South India)
In Tamil villages, at the edge of fields, stand small shrines of mud and terracotta horses. These belong to Mariamman, Pochamma, and other fierce village mothers. One tale of Mariamman says that when an epidemic once swept through a town, she appeared in a dream, asking for neem leaves, turmeric, and buttermilk to cool her fever. The next morning, the outbreak slowed. Even today, neem leaves and turmeric water are offered in her name, echoing that ecological wisdom.
2. Vindhyavasini – The Mountain Mother (Uttar Pradesh)
Mentioned in the Devi Mahatmya, Vindhyavasini is believed to dwell in the Vindhya mountains, holding immense power over the natural order. Local lore in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, tells how Vindhyavasini came down from her mountain abode to slay the demon Mahishasura’s allies. Villagers say the river Ganga pauses to bow before her shrine at Vindhyachal. Every Navratri, people trek barefoot up to her temple, carrying little more than earthen lamps, repeating the journey of those who first sought her help centuries ago. While Durga’s form is celebrated in Navratri, Vindhyavasini remains less sung despite being revered across northern India. Her story reflects the way landscapes themselves are personified as goddesses, tying Itihasa to geography.
3. Renuka and Yellamma (Maharashtra and Karnataka)
In Saundatti, Karnataka, the story of Renuka is retold every year during the Yellamma Jatre. Worshipped in Maharashtra and Karnataka as Yellamma, she is both a mother and a rebel figure. They say when her husband demanded her execution, her son Parashurama obeyed, but when she was revived, she refused to return home. Instead, she embraced the outcast and the orphan, declaring them her family. To this day, women who feel abandoned or dishonored call themselves “Yellamma’s daughters,” keeping her rebellion alive. Her story is marked by resilience, transgression, and renewal shaped by communities of devotees. Yet, in mainstream tellings of Indian mythology, she is rarely mentioned alongside Lakshmi or Parvati.
4. Bahuchara Mata (Gujarat)
On the highway near Becharaji in Gujarat, truck drivers stop to bow to Bahuchara Mata, goddess of chastity and protector of the marginalized. Her story says she chose death rather than dishonor at the hands of bandits and later blessed the hijra community as her children. Even today, devotees come seeking courage to live authentically, reminding us that the goddess stands with the vulnerable.
5. Eruvadi Kaliamman (Tamil Nadu)
In Tamil Nadu’s Eruvadi, the goddess is remembered through a local festival where devotees walk barefoot on burning embers. The tale says she appeared to protect villagers from plunderers when men were away at war. She is fierce but maternal, blessing those who keep their word and punishing betrayal. Farmers and fisherfolk still say, “Kali is awake, so the village sleeps safe.”
6. Kichakeshwari (Odisha)
In Khiching, the black stone temple of Goddess Kichakeshwari stands in quiet majesty. Local lore says she was once a tribal goddess who protected hunters in the forest. Later, she became the royal deity of the Bhanja kings. Even today, villagers believe the goddess accepts offerings of wildflowers before any royal ritual can succeed. She bridges folk roots and regal power
Why Did We Forget Them?
Part of the reason lies in the way stories were written down. Oral traditions preserved the breadth of India’s goddesses, but once texts were codified and colonial scholars studied “Indian mythology,” only certain names became widely circulated. Local, fierce, or unconventional goddesses were left behind in the margins, their rituals dismissed as “folk” or “superstitions.”
Why They Matter Today
In a time of ecological crisis, gender debates, and identity struggles, these unsung goddesses have renewed relevance. They remind us that divinity is not restricted to a few names or forms. That Indian mythology should have carried the tales that are wild, local, disruptive, healing, and deeply connected to the soil under our feet. Remembering them is not just about cultural recovery; it’s about reviving ways of being in harmony with land, body, and community.
FAQs
Q1. Who are the lesser-known goddesses in Indian mythology?
Goddesses like Mariamman, Vindhyavasini, Manasa, Renuka-Yellamma, and hundreds of local grama devis are revered but less commonly included in mainstream narratives.
Q2. Why are these goddesses called “unsung”?
Because their stories are passed through oral traditions, local rituals, and community practices rather than widely circulated texts, making them less visible in popular retellings.
Q3. How are unsung goddesses different from Durga or Lakshmi?
While Durga and Lakshmi are pan-Indian deities with large temple traditions, unsung goddesses are often local, tied to ecology, agriculture, or protection of specific communities.
Q4. Why are these goddesses important today?
They carry ecological, social, and spiritual wisdom that resonates strongly in contemporary issues like environmental protection, women’s agency, and community resilience.
