ABSTRACT
Nowhere is the dichotomy of the female as giver and taker of life more dramatically expressed than in the image of Chinnamasta. One of the most dramatic representations of self-sacrifice is the image of the self-decapitated goddess, Chinnamasta, 'She whose Head is Severed'. Chinnamasta is worshipped alone, but more often as part of a group. She is the fifth of the Dasa Mahavidyas. Chinnamasta has complex attributes with multivalent and sometimes contradictory symbolism. The appealing expression of these opposing symbols has been a challenge for Indian artists, especially painters. The striking aspect of the Chinnamasta images is not merely the idea of the woman as a headless, non-thinking, fertile ground, but also the aspect of mutilation and sacrifice. The unusual aspect of the Chinnamasta image is that instead of accepting the sacrifice from her devotees she is herself the sacrifice.
