Kali (Kalika)
Kali ("the black one")
is the Hindu mother goddess, symbol of dissolution and destruction. She
destroys ignorance, maintains the world order, and blesses and frees those
who strive for the
knowledge of God.
In
the Vedas the name is associated with Agni, the god of fire, who had seven
flickering tongues of flame, of which Kali was the black, horrible tongue.
This meaning of the word has meanwhile been replaced by the goddess Kali,
the grim consort of Shiva.
Her
appearance is fearsome: baleful eyes, a protruding tongue, and four arms.
In her upper left hand she wields a bloody sword and in her lower left
hand she holds the severed head of a
demon. With her upper
right hand she makes the gesture of fearlessness, while the lower right
hand confers benefits. Draped around her is a chain of severed human heads
and she wears a
belt made of dismembered
arms. As the Divine Mother she is often represented dancing or in sexual
union with Shiva. As Bhavatarini, the redeemer of the universe, she stands
upon the supine form of her spouse.
She is also known as Kalikamata
("black earth-mother") and Kalaratri ("black night"). Among the Tamils
she is known as Kottavei. Kali is worshipped particularly in Bengal. Her
best known
temples are in Kalighat
and Dakshineshvara.
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