Kali Puja Mythology and Celebrations
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Kali Puja Mythology and Celebrations BY SUMIT RAY
The cult of Kali is one of
the few remaining
examples of female
deity worship, and that
too in a mighty and
vengeful rather than a
benign form. The rituals
are tantric and the
goddess herself is often
seen as a terrifying,
demonic manifestation.
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Diwali, the Festival of Lights, has just ended, celebrated with gusto across India and other parts of the
world. However, the day is also associated with other celebrations, including the worship of the
goddess, Kali.
The cult of Kali is unique in the world today, as many see it as one of the few remaining instances of
worshipping female deities, and that too in a mighty and vengeful form and not a benign form. Unlike
Diwali, though, Kali Puja as a public festival is a more recent phenomenon, traced to the 18th century.
Kali was a popular deity before this, with texts and songs devoted to her, and her followers were widely
spread. Like Durga Puja, Kali Puja is also believed to have received a fillip from the patronage of
landowners.
Celebrations Kali Puja sees fewer pandals than Durga Puja, though they are present. This may be attributed to the
fact that it is a much shorter 1-day festival. People conduct the worship at their homes, or more
elaborately at Kali temples. Kali Worship at temples, which is also called Shyama Puja, takes place at
night and the rituals are according to tantric norms – more energetic and esoteric compared to Vedic
norms practiced at homes.
Due to her image as a fearsome, savage and indestructible Goddess, the rituals also involve animal
sacrifice, offerings of Red Hibiscus flowers and even blood.
Mythology The image of Kali that we see is hard to understand without the mythology that surrounds the figure -
the story of Durga and the battle with Mahishasura. In Hindu mythology the concept of multiple
manifestations and avatars is widely pervasive and it is well known that there is a pantheon of Gods and
Goddesses in India (330,000 being a popular count). However, it is less common knowledge that most of
these are various forms of some primordial forms – mainly the triumvirate of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva,
and the female entity Devi. Durga and Kali are some of the manifestations of this Devi. These
manifestations are region-centric (local deities) and also allegorical. Hence we have Kali, who appears
out of Durga herself to counter the growing ferocity of the demons. Thus, she is both Mother and
murderer, both gentle and savage.
Kali proceeds to unleash the most gruesome of retaliations upon the demons and tears off their heads
and wears them as a necklace. Her weapon is not a sword or a spear, but an axe. She is also dark, giving
her her name Kali meaning black (though another etymology is that of Kaal or time, making her the
Goddess of time and timelessness). When the enemy has been vanquished and their leaders have fallen,
Kali is so swept away by her own blood-lust that she continues her deadly dance and cannot stop spilling
blood. Now the very Gods who created her were afraid of the uncontrolled rage and needed to
somehow put a stop to it.
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This is when Shiva, the consort of the Devi, decides that she cannot be challenged, but needs to be
pacified. He lies down in her path and allows her to close in on him. She eventually steps on his body,
completely caught unawares, at which act she bites her tongue in shock. Though she is an unstoppable
force, she also harbours love and compassion for her husband.
The popular depiction of Kali depicts all of these aspects and is a very familiar icon in India. It is
important to have a mature understanding of the mythology to avoid misconceptions, as the Kali figure
has often been seen as demonic herself. The very sight of her is meant to invoke fear, and yet is
supposed to be an assurance that the might of Kali protects those who need protection. Even here the
complexity of Indian mythology shows its brilliance as readings show how even criminals and demons
can approach Gods for their protection. This apparently bizarre trend is a comment on the need for God,
or a powerful person, to be detached from the matters of the world and its workings. If penance has
been performed, then blessings are bestowed.
Kali’s Influence Interestingly, among the ardent followers of Kali were the thuggees of the 17th and 18th centuries.
These were organized groups of highwaymen who ambushed travelers and robbed and murdered them.
Their methods were shrouded in rituals and their worship of Kali was also terrifyingly unique, including
rumours of Human Sacrifice. This contributed, in no small way, to the misconceptions of Kali as being a
patron of villains.
But better examples of devotion can be found in the lives of saints like Ramprasad Sen (18th century)
who wrote songs in praise of the Goddess, and Sri Ramakrishna (19th century) whose teachings formed
a re-awakening of spiritualism in India.
The cult of Kali, though the based on a mythology and cult figure, is yet a rejection of organized religion.
One can feel how it is meant to deflect the search for answers that one normally seeks from worship.
She embodies the absence of time and of piety, and like Shiva is a representative of Destruction, which
is not a loss, but an inevitability of life beyond life.