Mahiṣāsuramardinī is one of the manifestations of Śakti. She is the most ferocious and popular goddess of the Hindu pantheon. As a war-goddess her primary function is to combat Mahiṣāsura, a notorious demon. She is therefore given the appellation of Mahiṣāsuramardinī. She is the most impressive and formidable goddess of the Hindu pantheon. The cult of Mahiṣāsuramardinī is of considerable antiquity. Its genesis can be traced from the Vedic literature. The Mahabharat and the Purāṇas have provided varied but vivid accounts of the origin of the goddess. The author besides emphasizing on the descriptions of the deity as per the Puranic texts, has also discussed the emergence and representation of the goddess who has occupied a prominent place in the sculptural history of India through the ages. Here the author presents a rich and variegated picture of the Mahiṣāsuramardinī art of Orissa and of India highlighting the evolving iconography of individual images with special reference to the Śilpa and Tantric Texts. He focuses on different forms and depictions of the goddess. Dr. Sanjaya Kumar Mahaptra (born 1963), presently working as the principal in the Janata College, Kuhuri, Khurda, Odisha is the recipient of prestigious Rastriya Gaurav Award. He is an eminent scholar of history and Archaeology who has devoted two decades of his illustrious career to the study of Archaeology, History and Culture of our land.