Maa Mahagauri is extremely fair, beautiful and is usually depicted with four hands holding the Trishool, lotus and drum in each hand while fourth one in Abhayamudra (blessing posture). She wears white clothes and rides a bull.
Legend goes that after Maa Kaalratri destroyed demons in her ferocious avatar, Maa Parvati was ‘teased’ for her complexion. She then prayed to Brahma to get back her fair complexion. Brahma asked her to bathe in Mansarovar river in Himalaya, upon which she regained her complexion. Upon losing Her dark complexion She is known as Mahagauri.
Ashtami is one of the most auspicious days of the nine nights and many people invite young girls to their homes and offer them halwa-puri and chana.
Each day of the Navratri is devoted to one of the nine avatars of Maa Durga. The nine different forms are Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayini, Kaalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidhatri.
