During the famous Jagadhatri puja in Bengal, the murti (idol) of Goddess Jagadhatri has an elephant head beneath her feet. The story of the elephant head and Jagadhatri is associated with demon Mahishasura.
According to the Sri Sri Chandi (Devi Mahatmya), during the
battle between Goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura, the demon used his
powers of illusion to take on various animal forms in an attempt to confuse the
Goddess.
At one point, he assumed the form of a gigantic elephant and
charged at her. It was then that Goddess Durga manifested herself as Jagadhatri, the Upholder
of the Universe, to destroy Mahishasura disguised as an elephant.
With her five arrows (panchabana) she slew the demon, and with her discus (chakra) she severed the elephant’s head—trunk and all—from its body.
Now, the elephant is also called Kari, and thus Mahishasura,
in his elephant form, came to be known as Karindrasura. The Goddess who
vanquished him is therefore worshipped as Karindrasuranisudini — the Slayer of
Karindrasura.
That is why, in her iconography, the Goddess’s lion mount is
shown standing upon the body of a slain elephant.
However, this elephant is symbolic—it represents the ego
(ahankara). By slaying the elephant, the Goddess revealed a deeper truth: those
who become entangled in the illusion of ego are destined for destruction.