Mahishasurmardini दुर्गा - महिषासुरमर्दिनी at Bandungan , Indonesia

 Durga  Mahishasurmardini  दुर्गा - महिषासुरमर्दिनी 

This beautiful stone carved statue of  Durga Mahishasuramardini दुर्गा - महिषासुर मर्दिनी made me awestruck at Candi Gedong Songo III , Semarang , Central Java , Indonesia.

Durga  Mahishasuramardini दुर्गा - महिषासुरमर्दिनी 

A very worn Durga, in the act of killing the buffalo demon Mahishasur, decorates the Temple's North exterior Niche. The Goddess's multiple Arms are the most prominent Attributes that still remains on the Sculpture .

Gedong Songo - III
This group of three temples includes a Nandi temple in the lower right, facing as usual its corresponding Shiva temple. The third temple is unpaired.

Group III is the largest. It consists of three main shrines, all facing west and each dedicated to Hindu Gods: Brahma to the south, Vishnu to the north, and the main temple to Shiva in the center. In front of the Shiva shrine, a small structure housing Shiva´s Vahan ( Carrier) Nandi, is built in strict accordance to an Indian Architectural Manual.

Exterior Reliefs on the outer walls of the Temple has 3 reliefs -

1. Agastya अगस्त्य   
2. Ganesha गणेश   
3. Mahishasuramardini महिषासुरमर्दिनि 

Candi  (Temple) Gedong Songo (nine buildings) Complex

Magnificient view of Candi (Temple) Gedong Songo

Candi (Temple) Gedong Songo (nine buildings) is a group of small Hindu Javanese temples from 7th century. These Silent, Peaceful, and Mysterious Temples are magnificent example of cultural heritage of Hindu's temples in Indonesia . Candi  Gedong go is located in the Candi village, Bandungan District, Semarang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia , on the slopes of Mount Ungaran. These temples were first discovered by Mr. Raffles in 1804.

Gedong Songo is one of the most beautifully sited Temple Complexes in Central Java. Gedong Songo (' Nine Buildings ') belongs to the earliest antiquities of Java . These Temple creates a splendid view from the Peaks of the mountains . At 900 meters elevation, this is perhaps the most breathtaking Archaeological site in Java. The location is marked with magnificent view over north-central Java, encompassing Mount Ungaran (2050 meters), Lake Rawapening, Mount Merbabu (3142 meters), and hazy Mount Merapi (2914 meters). When day is clear one can view Mount Lawu in East Java too.

These Ancient Candi (Temples) were originally built between 730 and 780 A.D. by Hindu Sanjaya Dynastic line which controlled Central Java during the 8th and 9th Centuries. The Sanjaya Dynasty was most likely responsible for building the Sanctuaries of Dieng , more famous mountain complex to the west . Gedong Songo predate Borobudur and Prambanan Temples.

Gedong Songo is not the original name of these Temples and also does not imply at the number of structure at the site . The number nine has a special meaning and a strong attachment to the numbers in the Javanese Culture. The temples are located at the equal distance from each other (100 meters, 200 meters) on naturally formed terrace edge of the mountain.