Many Goddesses of India

Ananta

India is a land of many Deities and where, even in the 21st century the Goddess is still worshipped.  The following is a list of some of these Goddesses and India as well as surrounding lands:

• Aditi: Hindu Great Goddess, as the Woman Clothed with the Sun. Sun Goddess, Mother of all the Lights of Heaven. She gave birth to the twelve zodiacal spirits.
• Ananta: Indian Serpent Queen. aka Sarparajni. She enveloped all Gods during their death, sleeping between incarnations.
• Banka-Mundi: Hunting Goddess of the Khoud. Merely uttering Her name made one fearless against jungle beasts.
• Bardaichila: Assamese Storm Goddess.
• Bentakumari: Assamese Water Goddess. First fish of the season was given to Her.
• Bhasundara: Tibetan Goddess of Prosperity
• Bhavani: Common name for Mother Goddess of India. Bestower of Existence. Evoked by women in labour, who burned perfume to honour Her.
  

Kali-Ma – the Terrible Mother

After a rather impromptu rite to Kali-Ma undertaken this week, I thought I would share part of an article that I had written about Kali-Ma for "Insight" magazine (either in 2009 or early 2010).

The Hindu religion has a myriad of Gods and Goddesses that are openly revered and worshipped, and within this religion, the Goddesses fall into not only the nurturing side of the Divine Feminine (as we are used to in the West), but also into the destroyer aspect.  The most revered Goddess is Kali.  She is usually pictured wearing a necklace of skulls and girdle of human hands, dancing on the body of her consort, Shiva. 

With her dishevelled hair and protruding tongue, Kali does not portray the demure image of the Divine Feminine that we in the West are comfortable with, such as the Virgin Mary found within Christianity.