The widow Goddess who rides a horseless chariot: All about Maa Dhumavati and her attributes

One of the 10 powerful Goddesses of Tantric tradition, Maa Dhumavati is a distinct and different aspect of feminine power, and one that is not often worshipped. She is the goddess of smoke, detachment, loss, and wisdom, and unlike other goddesses who have qualities of beauty, wealth, or motherhood, Maa Dhumavati shows what happens after everything is stripped away and all that is left is a void.

(Image: shrirajranikalimaa/Instagram)

In Hindu tradition, there are 10 Tantric goddesses who are not commonly worshipped, and their Sadhana is much more difficult to undertake and is only recommended to be done under a wise and learned Guru.
The Dasamahavidyas are - Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Baglamukhi, Matangi, and Kamala.

(Image: chayadevi_ravindrakumar/Instagram)

The origin of Maa Dhumavati is linked to a story of Maa Sati and the time she leapt into a fire. It is said that King Daksha organised a Yagya, but did not invite Lord Shiva to it, Maa Sati felt insulted and went to the Yagya to confront her father. There, upon disrespect, she sacrificed herself to the sacred fire, and in that moment, what was left of her, be it the smoke, the sad emotions, and the likes, originated in the form of Maa Dhumavati. (Image: saitharunvs/Instagram)

Unlike the kind eyes, beauty, wealth-giving hands, and immense riches of some Devis, Maa Dhumavati is completely different. She is shown as an old, widowed woman with a pale gray complexion, matted and disheveled hair, old and torn clothes, not a single ornament in sight, and on a chariot that is without a horse.
In some representations, she is shown riding or holding a crow too. And always around her is smoke.

Although Maa Dhumavati has a fearsome and rather inauspicious look, it is said that she still blesses people with the highest of Siddhis and powers. People who pray to Maa Dhumavati and engage in her Sadhna are said to achieve spiritual and psychic powers, and she rewards those who can withstand loneliness, loss, or inner silence.
She grants people wisdom, knowledge, power to see through deception and blurred realities, and much more.

It is also believed that Maa Dhumavati helps her devotees by removing Maya and excesses from their life. The notions of appearance, looks, attachments, and the likes mean nothing to her, and she is pleased by people who practice detachment and have lost their world and yet persevered through.
And so it is believed that when you worship Maa Dhumavati, under the guidance of an expert, she removes the smoke of ‘Maya’ from your eyes, and helps you see the realities of life.

One of the most famous and well-known facts about Maa Dhumavati is that married women and couples in general, are advised to not do her Sadhana. Why? Because she has been a symbol of widowhood, loss, and lonesome, and none of these qualities suit a married person, be it a man or a woman.
People say that Maa Dhumavati’s energies make people want to live alone, lead a solitary life dedicated to prayer, and just promotes a sense of renunciation from material life.