Chunda sculpture, Asia - Public domain museum image. A bronze statue of a woman holding a snake

The Buddhist devotees of ancient Java also worshipped a number of female deities. Chunda, the goddess of eternal wisdom, is one of the best known. But there were many others, some of them directly associated with particular Buddhist texts. These included magical formulas that could be recited for practical concerns, such as healing an illness, or during childbirth.