Marichi was a _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Buddhist goddess
Marichi was a Buddhist goddess; her tenth-century sculpture from Bihar is an example of the integration of different religious beliefs and practices.
NCERT (2026-27): “1.1 The integration of cults … Such instances of integration are evident amongst goddess cults as well. Worship of the goddess, often simply in the form of a stone smeared with ochre, was evidently widespread. These local deities were often incorporated within the Puranic framework by providing them with an identity as a wife of the principal male deities – sometimes they were equated with Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, in other instances, with Parvati, the wife of Shiva.”
Fig. 6.3 Sculpture of a Buddhist goddess, Marichi (c. tenth century, Bihar), an example of the process of integration of different religious beliefs and practices |
