Matangi

About Matangi

Matangi is the ninth of the ten Mahavidyas, painted emerald green and usually shown with four arms holding a noose, sword, goad and club — said to stand for the four Vedas. In her Raja-Matangi form she plays the veena with a parrot at her side. What sets her apart is how she is worshipped: devotees offer her ucchishta, leftover food eaten with unwashed hands, which mainstream Hinduism treats as impure. Legend says Parvati became Matangi to accept such offerings from outcaste Chandalini women turned away at Kailasa. Her signature boon is vak-siddhi, mastery over speech. Her festival, Matangi Jayanti, falls on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya.