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Ma Kali 101: Who is Ma Kali ?
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Ma Kali (Kali in Sanskrit means black, and Ma means mother) is an incarnation of Ma Durga. She is the Hindu Goddess who is associated with the eternal energy and is believed that by worshipping her one can end all the evils in and around us. She is another incarnation of the female power Durga (Shakti), the savior who can rescue us from all difficulties and tough times.
It is believed that Ma Durga has nine appellations of which Ma Kali is one of them. In Hindu religion Ma Durga had taken different forms to destroy the evil from time and time and hence she has so many names. The nine appellations are Kali, Bhagvati, Bhavani, Ambika, Lalita, Gauri, Kandalini, Java, and Rajeswari. Kali is the fearful and ferocious form of the mother Goddess Durga.
Kali is the consort of Lord Shiva and is one of the main Goddesses of the natives of Bengal (eastern part of India). As the legend goes long time ago in the Hindu mythology Shimbhu and Nishambhu, were the two demons that created havoc in the Gods world, the Heaven. They had defeated all the Gods and drove them away from the Heaven. Indra the King of all Gods took refuge in the Himalayas, the home of Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati (another name for Durga). Ma Durga took the form of Ma Kali to end the destruction caused by the two demons.
Furious and enraged Ma Kali went out to fight against the demons along with Dakini and Jogini her two escorts. After defeating and killing the demons she had made a garland of their heads and wore it around her neck. In the bloodbath she lost control and started killing anyone who came her way. Lord Shiva came to the rescue and devised a plan to stop Kali from the killing spree. He laid down in the path of the rampaging Kali and when the Goddess unknowingly stepped on him, she regained her senses and repented by hanging her tongue out in shame. All the idols of Ma Kali have their tongue hanging out thereby depicting the moment she had stepped on her husband, the Lord Shiva.
Ma Kali killed the demons during the Amavasya (no-moon) night in the Hindu month of Karthik (October/November) and hence the celebration ever since. The entire rituals of Kali Puja fall around midnight. In some parts of eastern India, animals like goat are sacrificed to pacify Ma Kali. Sweets and fruits are offered to the Goddess and then after the ritual they are distributed among the devotees as Prasad (offerings from the Goddess). The people in Bengal light lamps and fire crackers to welcome Ma Kali with gusto and enthusiasm. Pandals were also built at every street corner to house the Goddess Kali during the days of the festivals. The streets and houses are all decorated with lights to celebrate the cause of the festival. Kali Puja coincides with Diwali festival in the North India but both are celebrated for the same cause that is the victory of good over evil.
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