KALI: HISTORY, SYMBOLISM, OFFERINGS, PROTECTION, PRAYERS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The goddess Kali is one of the ten Majá Vidiá present in Hinduism. That is to say, it is one of the forms that the mother goddess Deví adopts according to tantric traditions. With the passage of time, Kali has acquired different names and has been worshiped in various sects or cultures.

For the Hindu religion, Kali has become one of the most prominent deities, as she is believed to be the wife of the god Shiva. It has been associated with many other goddesses such as Durga, Satí, Uma or Kumari.

Raja Ravi Varma, via Wikimedia Commons.

For Hindus, those who worship Kali are part of the sect of Shaktism. But the most common is that all Hindu practitioners worship Kali as the universal queen of India.

There are several representations of Kali, but the most common is usually that of a woman with several arms, blue in color and stepping on the lifeless body of the god Shiva.

It has several mantras that serve to be invoked. Its main sanctuary can be found in Calcutta, a city located in West Bengal and is called Kalighat. This temple today still has great importance in India.

The first reference that was made of Kali was not as a deity, but was named after one of the languages ​​that King Agni used to communicate.

Origin and history

There are several hypotheses about the origin of the goddess Kali. On the one hand, it is believed that it was born from the union of Ratri and Kottravai.

In the Purana genre of Hindu literature, there are some records where the beginnings of Kali were spoken of. These texts speak that the goddess appeared towards the north and center of India, in mountainous areas where formations such as Mount Kalanyar can be found, which today is called Kalinjar.

One of the most accepted ideas is that Kali detached herself from the goddess Durga, whose name means 'Inaccessible'. According to Hindu stories, Durga was in a fight against evil when Kali appeared to slaughter all the demons present in a totally out of control way. Shiva had to stop Kali who only stopped when she noticed that she was over Shiva.

In the Indo-European Sanskrit language, the name Kali means 'Time'.

He has come to be considered one of the least understood deities by the Hindu religion, although he is one of the main goddesses. It is associated with devastation, recovery, and death.

characteristics

Although known as the black woman, Kali is depicted as a dark blue skinned figure. It is believed that this color serves to associate Kali with the sky that is infinite or incalculable, as well as the power of the goddess.

She has a crescent on her head and wears earrings from which two babies dangle. Although he is associated with acts of violence, it is important to note that his actions have to do with justice. Its purpose is to achieve balance, even if it is necessary to destroy or kill.

Kali wears a necklace with 50 skulls hanging from it. Beyond the necklaces and ornaments on her body, Kali does not have any type of clothing. It is believed that since it is infinite, no finite element can cover it. At the waist it has a strap that is made up of a large number of arms.

Although he is associated with terrible actions and his appearance is not the kindest, he is always with a smile on his face. Four arms sprout from his body, in one he is wielding a sword and in another he is holding the head of a demon.

Festivals

The most important holiday related to the goddess Kali is the Hindu New Year, which is called Diwali. The date of this celebration usually varies, but normally occurs between the months of November and December.

As a ritual for good luck, those who worship the goddess Kali often seek her blessing during the new moon. Diwali represents the victory of good over evil. The preparations that are made in this party consist of families coming together very early, forgetting and forgiving the mistakes of the past.

Subsequently, the ritual dictates that meats are prepared, Kali is prayed and at night fireworks are lit, symbolizing the persecution of evil spirits. Especially in the field they often use oil lamps.

This day is also important for traders. In business, new accounts are often started and Kali is prayed for for prosperity and success in the new year.

Also in May, the Kali festival is celebrated, which is Mother's Day in India. On this date, women receive clothing and jewelry and are treated with great respect. The temples where Kali is worshiped are usually painted to restore them, they are decorated and illuminated at night.

Symbology

The most common is to associate the goddess Kali with death, but this is not exactly a bad thing. The normal thing is that she is in charge of killing the elements that have to do with the ego and the distorted vision of reality.

In the texts of the Hindu religion Kali only fights and kills demons. It has no relationship with the death of humans, whose role is more closely related to the god Yama.

The meaning of her name has been accepted as a black woman, since Kali would be the female version of darkness according to the Sanskrit language.

There are various symbols that over time have been associated with Kali. On the one hand, there is the full moon, ashes, roses and even jasmine.

Kali has three eyes that signify the past, present, and future of things. Its four arms are associated with the cardinal points.

Offerings

Offering goats to the goddess Kali is something that has always been done in her sanctuary. There are those who affirm that at some point in history humans were also sacrificed in honor of the deity.

In Calcutta there is the Kalighat sanctuary that was built in the early 19th century. This is the temple is of greatest relevance in the city of the state Bengal.

Today, the Kali Shrine has a large number of murals. The Kali figures are adorned with robes and diadems. The use of animal blood is also common, which is a variant of human sacrifices that were made in the past. The normal thing is that chickens or goats are used.

Goat sacrifices continue to be made, although it is usual for these practices to take place very early, in the early morning hours. Black goats are usually chosen. The remains of these animals are exposed throughout the day in the temple of Kalighat and, later, when the sun goes down, they are burned.

The rest of the offerings are simple items. Large elaborate dishes are not expected to be prepared for the goddess to satisfy her, only a simple wine is offered and it is sufficient.

Protection

There are various mantras that are used to invoke the goddess Kali. Each has a specific purpose.

Krim is a bija mantra used for Kali to protect against the forces of evil. Then there are mantras that serve the consciousness. There are others less used that are believed to have laxative powers.

There are also more general mantras whose aim is to protect from any problem. The goddess can be asked to work on spirituality, avoid the fear of dying and drive away ignorance.

Prayers and rituals

There are various activities related to the worship of the goddess Kali. One of the most common prayers consists of the practice of yapa, which refers to a song that is done with a very soft voice and in which the name of the god being worshiped is said several times, in this case that of Kali..

This type of recitation by Hindus is very common among members of Shaktism. It is believed to be the shaktas' way of creating a link between the deity and the present time.

In Hinduism rituals are often a common practice to create a connection with the deity that is worshiped. The cult of Kali can be expressed in many ways.

Ritual of clarity of mind

One of the best known ceremonies related to Kali has to do with the search to see the reality of things. It is an act that is usually carried out in times of the crescent moon, with the firm objective of achieving, as its name indicates, greater clarity and understanding of things.

This ritual can have variations. For example, if it is done in times of the waning moon and other objects are used, such as candles of different colors, it may have the purpose of asking Kali to eliminate certain things from people's lives.

For this ritual, the usual thing is to use very few objects, from candles of different colors and incense regardless of their smell.

In this ceremony, candles are lit, the goddess is invoked and meditated for as long as necessary on the matters that concern the person and for which the intervention of Kali is requested.

References

1. Beane, W. (2001). Myth, cult and symbols in Śākta Hinduism. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers.
2. Caldwell, S. (2003). Oh terrifying mother. Oxford (UK): Oxford University Press.
3. Harding, E. (2004). Kali. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.McDermott, R. (2004). Singing to the goddess. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. McDermott, R. and Kripal, J. (2006). Encountering Kali. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
5. Patel, S. (2006). Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow. Penguin Publishing Group.