Gods Paying Homage to Bhadrakali (Protector Kali)

Kali

India / South Asia Collection

Accession Nr.: 8014
Type: painting
Date of production:
19th c.
Colonial period
Place of production:
Acquisition: collection of Ferenc Hopp
Materials: paint (pigment); paper
Techniques: tempera
Dimensions: height: 20.2 cm
width: 25 cm
Goddess Kali is the warrior, protective, but also destructive aspect of god Shiva's consort Parvati. According to the myth, there lived an asura (demon) named Darika who was made invincible by his wife's mantras. Darika was thus torturing the world uninhibited. The gods could not stop him. Siva opened her third eye in anger, from which Kali, the warrior goddess, was born. With a trick, she lifted Darika's inviolability and then killed him. She held his head in her hands, but her anger did not subside - she continued her devastating war. The gods all appeared before her and begged her to calm down, but Kali did not hear them. Eventually the god Siva lay down in the dust of the road like a child and burst into tears. This awoke Kali's maternal soul and calmed her down. The scene depicts the moment of Kali calming down.