Devi: The Great Goddess

				Full image and description. Female bhuta. Lent by Dr. Siddharth Bhansali.

Bhuta
A different type of visual representation and its accompanying belief is evident in the unique Bhuta cult practiced along India's southwestern coastal strip. The term "bhuta" refers to a group of divine spirits or supernatural beings who are generally benign but are also capable of causing misery unless they receive periodic propitiation and worship. Local people refer to bhutas with awe and veneration.

Full image and description.
Female bhuta. Lent by Dr. Siddharth Bhansali.

Close to four hundred individual bhutas are recognized of which a large number are female, referred to as Mothers. The goddess Chikka (literally, small one), a petite, demure figure is reportedly today's favorite bhuta. She is often ornamented with her hair drawn to one side as a ponytail, and her strikingly stylized facial features gives her an air of austere grandeur. A bowl of sacred ash, known as vibhuti, often rests in her upraised hand.