Kali statues in Brass and Bronze
Kali is the Hindu Goddess of "The Power of Time," or you can call it "The Destructive Force of Time" as well. When the Gods created the Universe, they forgot to create time, and hence, mankind and creatures lived forever. The gods then created Kali so that all beings would eventually grow old and die. And while she appears terrifying - equipped with swords and holding severed heads - she is also considered by some to be a very compassionate goddess as well. In fact, many see her as one form of the Divine Mother.
Kali is depicted as being very dark in color, either black or a very dark blue. She is associated with wars and death, and is often thought of as something of a reaper of souls of those who die in battle. Her early devotees were often of the lower castes, and her places of worship were usually "untamed" areas, such as near cemeteries and cremation grounds. She is associated with blood sacrifices, and was the patron saint of the Thug movement in India as well.
Note About These Statues
These Kali Statues are generally made of brass, which is a brighter metal, almost gold in color, and bronze, which is generally a darker metal because of the presence of copper. While these are generally considered softer metals - and thus are great for shaping statues - they are certainly durable enough.
To learn more about the Goddess Kali, scroll down toward the bottom of this page.
Like most Hindu Gods and Goddesses, there is no one SINGLE book or story that presents their history and significance. Indeed, their are many different works that describe the Goddess kali, and some of them give conflicting information about her. But in general, she is a consort of the God Shiva. In fact, in many statues of Kali, you will see her standing upon the corpse of Lord Shiva, for he threw himself at her feet so that she would stop a murderous rampage.
Kali's long tongue unravels from her mouth to catch the dripping blood from her victims before it hits the ground. She holds a severed skull bowl from which she drinks blood, and which is used as an offering bowl. It was this blood catching tongue that helped her to kill off the evil demon Raktabija. For every time that Raktabija was stabbed or shot with an arrow, each drop of blood from his wounds would turn into another demon upon touching the ground.
As Kali slashed at the evil demon Raktabija, she rolled out her tongue and caught the drops of blood before they could hit the ground.
Common Beliefs about Kali
Most often depicted with four arms
Known as the Mother of Language
Believed by Tantric worshipers as being the Ultimate Reality
Her consort Shiva is thought to represent "consciousness," while Kali is thought to represent "action."
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