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Different Forms of Kali

Shmasan Kali: Kali is the Goddess of destruction. This puja was being held at the crematorium. Notice that the idol does not have

the tongue projecting out of her mouth. Also notice that she has only two hands.

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 Bagala Kali or Bagalamukhi: This form paralyses her enemies and pulls the tongue out of them. It is one of the forms of Das

Mahavidya or the ten manifestations of Kali, as per the Tantrik sect.

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 Bhairavi: The violent and fierce form of the Goddess, a consort of Bhairava. It is another form from the Das Mahavidya ideology.

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 Bhubaneswari: A more benevolent Goddess, she encapsulates the Universe within her. It is another form from the Das

Mahavidya ideology.

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 Shodoshi: She is a 16-year-old seductress emerging from the navel of Shiva. She is being worshipped by the Hindu trinity of

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and is another form from the Das Mahavidya ideology.

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 Tara, the Blue Goddess: A common form of Kali, and also a part of the Das Mahavidya ideology.

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 Dhumavati: The smoke Goddess or the widow Goddess, ahe symbolises everything that is non-pious to us and is the opposite of

Lakshmi and also a part of the Das Mahavidya ideology.

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 Kamala: The incarnation of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. This idol is worshipped in Orissa as Gaja Lakshmi

and a part of the ten Das Mahavidya.

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 Matangi: The incarnation of Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge. This form also finds place in temples in South India. She is

also a part of the ten Das Mahavidya.

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 Aadi Kali: The traditional form of Kali as depicted in Shamshan Kali.

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 Chhinna Masta: One of the most bizarre forms of the Goddess and is a part of Das Mahavidya. Her severed head is drinking blood from the jet coming from her own cut throat. There is a couple beneath her -- in this particular form it is Radha and

Krishna, the traditional symbol of love. This form of Goddess stands over the erotic pair  –  often also depicted by the artists asKamdev and Rati, the God and Goddess of love and sex. Life is shown here fro m a view of both procreation and destruction. Her

two consorts, one from the left and one from the right, also drinks the blood.

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 Aadi Chamunda or the Primordial Chamunda: She is as thin as a corpse and has fearful bulging eyes.

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 Chamunda: This horrifying goddess has Shiva standing by her side, as she preys upon the Asuras Chanda and Munda assisted by

her consorts.

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 Rakta Chamunda: This form of Kali licks and rolls upon the blood of asura Rakta Beeja. Her horrifying form creates a sense of

terror even in the mind of adults.

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 Raj Balabhi: A surprisingly mother-like manifestation of the Goddess. Not much is known about this form except only that a

temple in Malda has this deity.

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 Dasamunda Kali. Kali with ten heads and limbs. She is referred to also as Mahakali in Hindu texts.

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 Dakate Kali: This form of the Goddess used to be worshipped by dacoits and bandits. Notice how she is clad in a red and white

saree and has a garland of severed heads.

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 Sahasra Haath, the Kali with a thousand hands: Notice her green colour and arrays of hands behind.

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 Durga Kali: Here she is shown as one with Goddess Durga. The idol is half Durga and half Kali.

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  Nataraj Kali: Here, she is shown as one with Nataraj. Nataraj is the form of Shiva when he is dancing tandava -- the dance to

destroy the universe.

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 Jwalanta or the burning Kali: She is shown as a Goddess burning in rage.

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 Shwet or white Kali: An oxymoron. Perhaps it is symbolic of the fact that black and white are both mixture of all seven colours

of the nature.

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 Krishna Kali with Radha as consort: Krishna is usually thought of as an avatar of Vishnu. But in this particular iconography,

Kali, the female form of Shiva, is shown to be same as the same as Krishna. Krishna and Kali both stand for destruction.

Remember the Kurukshetra war and who was behind all the destruction?

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 Lakshmi Kali: The idol of both Lakshmi and anti Lakshmi shown together. Both of them are revered in Hindu tradition, because

in absence of one, the other is redundant.

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 The Shwet form of Tara: This is the replica of the idol of Tarapith.

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 Kalighat Kali: Benign in looks, charecterised by her huge golden tongue.

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 Aadi Kali: The traditional form of Kali as depicted in Shamshan Kali.