Many people are unaware that Goddess Kali is the first Mahavidya. Mahavidya are sacred forms of the primordial Mother Goddess, known as Devi. Devi is often identified as Parvati or Durga in Hinduism.
The Devi is worshipped as the sole creator, sustainer, and destroyer in the Shakt school of Hinduism.
The Dashmahavidya is worshipped by the Tantra practitioners. They rule the world of mysticism and Sidhis or superhuman powers. They grant boons to the devotees to keep propelling them forward in spiritual pursuits.
As per Drik Panchang, Kali Jayanti will be celebrated on Friday, August 15, 2025
She is one and only Mahavidya who is worshipped publicly and outside the world of Tantra.
The text, Devi Mahatamya from 6th century AD mentions the birth of Goddess Kali during a ferocious battle between Devi and demons.
During the battle, Devi Durga came across a demon called Raktabeej. He obtained a boon from Lord Shiva that every drop of his blood that falls on earth will sprout into a duplicate Raktabeej. Raktabeej literally translates into; rakta=blood, beej= seed.
When Devi and her army of Matrikas wounded Raktabeej, his blood drops gave birth to his lookalikes. They were not only his doppelgangers but had the same mental and physical strength as the original Raktabeej.
So, Devi summoned Kali, a very intimidating and powerful form of Durga herself. She asked Kali to stop the demon's blood from dropping on earth. The Goddess Kali elongated her tongue and carpeted the entire battlefield. This way the cruel demon was slayed.
After that she killed the demon duo Chand and Mund. This earned her the name Chamunda or Chamundershwari.
After drinking the blood of the demon Daruk, Devi Kali turned insane with the obsession of blood. She couldn't hold her fury and went around killing and destroying the various life forms.
The devatas were shocked and terrified of the unprecedented destruction. They prayed to Lord Shiva to pacify the rage of the Devi.
Lord Shiva laid down in the plausible path of the Devi. She couldn't see Lord Shiva lying in her way.
She accidentally steps on his chest. When she realises she has insulated her husband, she bites her tongue in embarrassment and guilt.
This moment is frozen and often depicted in Kali temples and Pandals.
Maa Kali is portrayed as a woman who is invincible and merciless to the enemies. She however at the same time is loving and respectful towards her husband.
Her iconography depicts this contradictory yet intriguing aspect of her personality. She is portrayed with her right step on the chest of Lord Shiva and a sword in left hand. Her blood red tongue is lolling out with guilt. Pearls of white teeth sink into that tongue. The teeth cutting the tongue is a symbol of her control over our senses.
She is stark naked. Her nakedness implies that she is pure. She is away from illusions and pretensions. Her bust is adorned with skulls or freshly severed heads. She is the one who “cuts off “arrogance, pride to purify her devotees. She wears a skirt of chopped limbs. The limbs are the number of alphabets in Sanskrit language. Her dishevelled hair is very long till her calves. She wears earrings of snakes or embryos. The embryos are a reminder to be innocent like a child to get boons granted by her.
Her complexion is black. She is called Kali which means dark. The dark skin symbolises her ability to disperse darkness.
In some depictions, she is surrounded with jackals or snakes. Sometimes she wears a tiger's skin as a skirt in place of limbs.
Dakshina kali: The image of the Goddess with her “dakshin” or right step on Lord Shiva's chest is known as Dakshina Kali. Dakshin is Sanskrit for right (direction).
She has four arms. She holds a sword in her left hand. She has a khappar and a severed head in each of her arms.
She is the form which is present in temples and homes.
Vama Kali : The image of the Goddess with her left foot on the chest of Lord Shiva and a sword in right hand is known as Vama Kali. Vama is left(direction) in Sanskrit.
She is only worshipped by mystics and Tantra practitioners. She is also known as Shamshan Kali. Because she is often worshipped in a funeral ground.
Mahakali: The form of Maha Kali or great Kali has ten arms. The ten arms symbolises her rule over the 10 directions.
Bhadra Kali : Bhadra is Sanskrit for descent. The form where the tongue of the goddess is not lolling out is known as Bhadra Kali. She is a milder form of Maa Kali.
Raksha Kali: This form is popular in Bengal. The Devi is summoned whenever the devotee needs “raksha” or protection.
Maa Kali is often associated with kaal or time. Time decides the flow and quality of our lives. If you are going through a dull period then horoscope birth chart reading can help you overcome the hurdles in your life.
Kleem is her beejmantra. The sound of kleem is also associated with Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna is also “shaym” or dark.
Worshipping Maa Kali can give you everything. She is the one who holds the key to the doors of liberation.
Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramhans often said that Maya or illusion is created to obstruct your path to spiritual pursuits. Do not curse her or abhor her. Surrender to her lotus feet. Then like a mother who holds the fingers of her toddler to take him home, Maya will lead you to liberation.
Maa Kali was born to protect the righteous in the war of Goddess Durga and the demons. She is often invoked to offer protection against illnesses, court cases, and even natural calamities.
Maa Kali is known to rule time and cosmos so she is also associated with planets and astrology. Her worship in different Roopa can serve as remedies for malefic planets in the birth chart.
Kalighat is a “Shaktipeeth”. Shaktipeeth temples are temples which stand on the severed body parts of Goddess Sati. The right big toe of Sati fell at this place.
In fact, Kolkata comes from the word “Kali Khsetra”, the land or area of Kali.
Dakshineswar is a “Siddh Peeth”. A siddhapeeth is a temple where a devotee has attained Sidhi or salvation.
Dakshineswar is the temple where the most famous devotee of Maa Kali, Shri Ramakrishna Paramhans, stayed and worshipped her.
Maa Kali is worshipped as Bhavatarini here.
Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans was a 19th century mystic. He is regarded as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. His wife Sarada Devi is known as the human form of Devi.
He was the guru of the famous saint Swami Vivekananda.
Maa Kamakhya Devi is a Shaktipeeth. The private part of Devi fell at this place. Kamakhya Devi has been a place of Shakt tantra and Mysticism since the dawn of civilization.
Chamunda Devi is a shrine dedicated to Sri Chamundershwari Devi. The divine footprints of Devi are still visible in the temple.
This is a shrine of both Shiva and Shakti.
The Devi is known for her Tamasic nature and influence on time (planets). She is the one who is faraway from the clutches of time or kaal.
Her Grace can reduce the ill-effect of negative energies in your chart. She influences the time or kaal to work according to her will.
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