She is the Divine mother, mother of gods and goddess, often depicted as  a warrior woman riding a lion or tiger with multiple hands carrying weapons and assuming mudras, or symbolic hand gestures. She is Durga, the form of the goddess  of the embodiment of feminine and creative  energy (Sakthi)

The Divine mother took the form of  warrior goddess to fight the demon Mahishasura. Through intense prayers to Brahma, Mahishasura had the boon that he could not be defeated by any man or god. By virtue of this power, he invaded the gods, who went for help to the three gods (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva), but Mahishashur defeated all of the gods including Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva . He unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether worlds.

Eventually, since only a woman could kill him, all the gods bestowed a dazzling beam of energy, transforming the energy  into the goddess, Durga. Her form was blindingly beautiful, with a face sculpted by Shiva, torso by Indra, breasts by Chandra (the moon), teeth by Brahma, bottom by the Earth, thighs and knees by Varuna(wind), and her three eyes by Agni (fire). .

Each god also gave her their own most powerful weapons, Shiva's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, etc. Later, the goddess Kali would leap out of her forehead and finally defeat Mahishasura.

The word Shakti, meaning strength, reflects the warrior aspect of the goddess a traditional. But she is also strikingly beautiful.
Mahishasur's story is also of interest. His father Rambha, king of the demons, once fell in love with a water buffalo, and Mahishasur was born out of this union. He is therefore able to change between human and buffalo form at will (mahisha means "buffalo"). After conquering the three worlds, he is challenged by Durga. After several days of battle during which his army is decimated, he is finally killed on the tenth day of the waxing moon fortnight.

The Devi or Divine mother projected an overwhelming omnipotence. The awesome three-eyed Goddess was adorned with the crescent moon. Her multiple arms held auspicious weapons and emblems, jewels and ornaments, garments and utensils, garlands and rosaries of beads, all offered by the gods. With her golden body blazing with the splendor of a thousand suns, seated on her lion or tiger vehicle, Durga is one of the most spectacular of all personifications of Cosmic Energy.
The tremendous power of the Goddess was poised ready for the grim battle to wipe out demonic forces, the demons whose exaggerated ego-sense was destroying the balance of the universe, and whose sole purpose was to dominate and control. It was the universal war between knowledge and ignorance, truth and falsehood, the oppressor and the oppressed.

Durga's name literally means "Beyond Reach". This is an echo of the woman warrior's fierce, virginal autonomy. In fact many of the figures associated with her are officially virgin. She is "one-in-herself",  "Belonging-to-no-man". 'The Virgin Goddess': 'Her divine power does not depend on her relation to a husband-god, and thus her actions are not dependent on the need to conciliate such a one or to accord with his qualities and attitudes. For she bears her identity through her own right.'

The Supreme Mother Goddess Durga is celebrated throughout India for her remarkable defeat of the evil Buffalo Demon, Mahishasura. This event in Indian mythology is significant, for it represents the eradication of all maleficent vices such as ignorance, pride, ego, and sloth, and subsequently their replacement with all that is good, peaceful, and divine.
    The triumph of Durga is commemorated throughout India. In most parts of the continent, the festival is called Dusshera. However, in West Bengal, where the festival is particularly popular it is referred to as the "Durga Puja." This five day celebration beginning on the day of Shasthi and ending on Dashami is considered a welcoming home of the Goddess. Seven days before the puja actually begins, on the day of Mahalaya, the people of West Bengal begin a ritual called Devipaksha. During this time, they pray for deceased family members and take dips in the Ganges River.   Then on the morning of Shasthi (Oct. 18), the community commences their welcome home prayer to the Goddess.
Durga, the slayer of egos is worshipped in order to rid ourselves of weaknesses which fetter our route to liberation, and to true understanding of the cosmic nature of reality.  She is not only to be worshiped in the dogmatic sense, she is to be internalized, as she is the power within each of us that will lead to liberation.  This Power is referred to as the Kundalini Shakti, or the Serpent power.  This Power resides at the base of our spine, in a dormant fashion, as we exist in disillusion, not knowing the universal divine nature of ourselves. 
Through practices which focus on the divine motherone can awaken the Kundalini.