Goddess Shailputri Matha
The first incarnation of Goddess Durga Matha amongst nine forms is deity Shailputri Matha the first form of Navadurga Goddesses. Deity Shailputri matha is worshipped on the first day during Dussera Navrathri Pooja on the day of Kalash Sthapana or Ghatsthapana day. Goddess Shailaputri resmbles with a half moon in her forehead and rides a bull holding Trishul in her right hand and a lotus in her left hand. Deity Shailaputri Matha is dressed up in a light pink or white coloured saree.
Matha Shailaputri was named as Shailaputri after goddess Durga took birth in the house of the king of the mountains, Himalaya. Accoding to the puranas, the past life of Matha Shailaputri shows that she was called Sati, the daughter of Daksha, who was the son of Lord Brahma.
At that time Sati was married to the God of Gods, Lord Shiva who lived in Kailash with ash on his body. When once king Daksha arranged a ceremony of Yagna and invited everyone except his daughter Sati and his son-in-law Lord Shiva. But Sati though not invited by his father she was very much eager attend the ceremony even defied her husband’s advice of not attending the Yagna without an invitation.
When Sati went to the uninvited ceremony, she saw that everyone who were present at the Yagna ceremony was not happy with her presence except her mother who greeted her with a hug. Even her siblings and the guests were no exception with their remarks for her and uttered disrespectful comments about her husband. Even her father king Daksha harsh and rude towards her. All this made Sati depressed and was so heart broken that she burnt herself to ash in the holy fire. On hearing about this incident Lord Shiva was enraged and ordered his followers to immediately demolish the Daksha Yagna.
Then Sati took re birth as the daughter of Himalaya, king of Mountatins as Shailaputri. Thus how Godess Durga form as Shailaputri the most powerful and glorified of among all nine incarnations.