Tripurasundari or Lalita Mahatripurasundari is a powerful goddess, she is the pure consciousness, the one and only Brahman or the absolute reality. Her name connotes that she is the conqueror of 'three cities' (tripura) of the demons. Her three forms are: a gross, physical aspect showing her in physical form as a woman, a subtle form, which is her 'mantra,' and a supreme form, namely her '
yantra.' Rituals are performed to her manifested physical aspect. Tripurasundari loves
puja offered to her. All creation, manifestation and dissolution is considered to be a play of the goddess. The goddess bears five flowery arrows, a noose, a goad and a sugarcane bow. Tripurasundari is also worshipped as Bala (a playful young girl) and as
Bhairavi (a mature, middle-aged woman).
