Kaali Mata, also known as Mahakaali or Bhadrakaali is the goddess of ultimate power, war, time, and destruction of evil. Kaali Mata embodies Shakti, which is feminine energy and creativity. She is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva and represents the fiercest form of Shakti (energy). Her name originates from the Sanskrit word Kaal which means time.

She is known for her dark blue colour and is depicted partially dressed, with a long tongue outside her mouth, four arms, with a sword in one hand and the head of a demon in another. The other two hands bless her worshippers. Her hair is usually long and free flowing. She has two dead heads for her earrings, a string of demon skulls that she has killed as a necklace, and a girdle made of human hands as her clothing. It is said that in a battle with the demons, when Goddess Parvati was angry, her wrathful avataar appeared in the form of Goddess Kaali and she beheaded as well as swallowed many demon heads. Hence, she is frequently depicted with weapons, skulls and blood-stained lips. Sometimes she is also seen wearing the tiger skin and with a trident and a sword. Kaali has 21 forms and all of them have the combination of the protector of good and the destroyer of evil and ego.

There is another myth which talks of the birth of Kaali. It is said that she appeared from Lord Vishnu’s sleeping body – Yoga Nidra to wake him up when Lord Brahma approached him to help fight against two demons who were causing havoc.

Goddess Kaali is usually pictured standing with her right foot on Lord Shiva who is lying beneath her. There is a famous legend around this which has the story of Raktabeej demon attached to it. Raktabeej was a very powerful demon who had a boon that he could duplicate himself whenever a drop of blood (rakta) fell on the earth. Due to this, he created havoc everywhere and could not be destroyed. Hence Shakti in the form of Goddess Durga was created to fight this demon. Whenever Shakti killed Raktabeej, multiple Raktabeej got formed and eventually a large army of Raktabeej got created. Enraged by this, Goddess Durga took form of Kaali Mata and killed the entire army as well as Raktabeej and drank all the blood. In the war, she forgot that she had slayed the demon and continued slaying everyone. Seeing this, Lord Shiva lay down among the corpses where Kaali Mata was dancing. And while dancing, she stepped on Lord Shiva by mistake. It is believed that her tongue came out at that time as she was embarrassed and ashamed that her blood hunger prevented her from recognizing her own husband. This also calmed her anger and she came back to her original form and stopped the world from destruction.