Kali (feminine form of Sanskrit kala,”time” or “dark”), consort of the Hindu god Shiva in her manifestation of the power of time.

A destructive mother goddess, Kali is frequently depicted as a black, laughing, naked hag with blood-stained teeth, a protruding tongue, and a garland of human skulls. She usually has four arms: One hand holds a sword, the second holds a severed human head, the third is believed by her devotees to be removing fear, and the fourth is often interpreted as granting bliss.

Kali—omnipotent, absolute, and all-pervasive—is beyond fear and finite existence and is therefore believed to be able to protect her devotees against fear and to give them limitless peace. Finally, as absolute night, devouring all that exists, she is sometimes depicted as standing on the corpse of Shiva, which, like the garland of skulls, symbolizes the remains of finite existence.

Kali's worshipers purportedly appeased her in the past with human sacrifices; today she is propitiated with the blood of mammals. Under the title Bhavani, she was invoked by the secret brotherhood of murderers called Thugs.

The city of Calcutta (now Kolkata) received its name from Kali; Calcutta is the Anglicized form of Kalighata, the name of a large temple dedicated to Kali.

"Kali," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.