A dark goddess, her skin the blue-black of a moonless night. Wild hair streaming in all directions. A necklace of severed heads. A skirt of human arms. A blood-dripping tongue.
From the Sanskrit root Kala (काल) meaning "time" and "death." Kali thus means "She Who Is Time Itself" or "The Feminine Form of Time." Time is what allows change, growth, decay—and…
There are many origin stories for Kali. Here is the most famous:
Once, a demon named Raktabija terrorized the gods. He had a terrifying power: every drop of his blood that touched the ground became a clone of himself.
Discover Kali (काली)—the first Mahavidya, the fierce Dark Mother who destroys illusion and liberates consciousness. Learn why she stands on Shiva, what her terrifying form actually means, and how to work with the most misunderstood goddess in the Hindu pantheon.