Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, IAST: Cāmuṇḍā), also known as Chamundeshwari or Chamundi, is a fierce form of the Hindu mother goddess. She is regarded within the tradition as a manifestation of Chandi and Mahadevi, and is counted among the seven Matrikas, the group of mother goddesses in Shakta worship. She is also recognised as one of the principal Yoginis, a body of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses described as attendants of the warrior goddess Parvati.
Her name is traditionally explained as a compound formed from Chanda and Munda, two demons said to have been slain by the goddess. Owing to her martial and destructive aspect, Chamunda is closely associated with Mahakali and Durga in textual and devotional sources. In iconography and legend, she is frequently depicted as dwelling in cremation grounds or near holy fig trees, settings that emphasise her transcendence of worldly fears and her links with Tantric practice.
Worship of Chamunda has historically included ritual animal sacrifices, often accompanied by offerings of wine, reflecting her place within Shakta and Tantric traditions. Over time, the practice of animal sacrifice has reportedly declined in many regions under the influence of Vaishnavite devotional currents, with offerings in some shrines shifting towards vegetarian alternatives.
As a Matrika and a leading Yogini, Chamunda occupies a significant position in goddess-centred worship across various parts of India, where she is venerated both as an independent deity and as part of larger groupings of mother goddesses. Her imagery, which often emphasises an emaciated form, garlands of skulls, and weapons, conveys her role as a destroyer of evil within the framework of Shakta theology.