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Kali
KALI
Kali is the ferocious aspect of Durga perfectly personified. According to the Purana, this image of Durga as Kali, so widely worshipped in eastern parts of India, owes its origin to the battle of Durga with Sambhu and Nishambhu. She after her victory over these demons was so overjoyed that she started the dance of death. Here the story resembles that of Tara. In her great ecstasy Kali continued the destruction. As the prayers of all gods could not calm her, Lord Shiva had to intervene. Seeing no other way of dissuading her the god threw himself amongst the bodies of slain demons. When Durga saw that she was dancing over the body of her husband, she put her tongue out of her mouth in sorrow and surprise. She remained stunned in this posture and this is how Kali is shown in images with the red tongue protruding from her mouth.

Adhyatma Ramayana gives another story of the origin of Kali. It says that when Rama returned home with Sita after destroying Ravana, he was boastfully narrated the stories of his victories to Sita. She smiled and said, "You rejoice because you have killed a Ravana with ten hands. But what shall you do with a Ravana with one thousands hands?'" Ram very proudly boasted that he would destroy that demon too. At this challenge of his wife Rama collected his whole army and the army of all his allies and started for Shatdweep, the abode of this new demon with one thousand hands. This new Ravana was a powerful demon. When attacked he discharged three magic arrows from his bow. One of these sent all the monkeys to Kishkindha, their place of residence; another sent the army of Vibhishana, who was an ally of Rama and the ruler of Lanka after Ravana's death, back to their region beyond seashore;
Kali
KALI
while the third arrow sent all soldiers of Rama back to Ayodhya, Rama's capital. Rama felt humiliated and then Sita laughingly assumed the form of terrific Kali; she attacked this new Ravana with one thousand heads. After a long fight she killed the demon, drank his blood and began to dance and toss about the limbs of his body. Shiva calmed her. However, this story has not received popular approval.

In the images commonly worshipped Kali is shown as a very black female with four arms. In one hand she has a scimitar, in another the head of a demon which she holds by his hair, the third hand is spread flatly open bestowing a blessing and in the fourth she holds another weapon, usually a spear. She wears two heads of demons in place of earrings and has a necklace of skulls. Her tongue is blood red and hangs down upon her chin. Blood is also seen streaming from her tongue and upon her body. She is shown standing with one foot on the breast of Shiva and the other rests on his thigh.

At Kali Ghat near Calcutta is the most celebrated image of Kali. Other forms of Kali are CHAMUNDI, SHAMSHAN KALI (goddess of the cremation ground), BHADRA KALI, UGRA CHANDI, BHEEM CHANDI, SIDDHESHWARI, and SHEETLA (the goddess of small-pox).People also worship her to protect their children from dreaded diseases and their homes from ill omens.



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