 The concept and reverence for goddesses appears in the Vedas, which were composed around 3rd millennium BCE; however, they do not play a central role in that era.Goddesses such as Lakshmi, Parvati, Durga, Saraswati and Kali have continued to be revered into the modern era.The medieval era Puranas witnessed a major expansion in mythology and literature associated with "Devi", with texts such as the Devi Mahatmya, wherein she manifests as the ultimate truth and supreme power.