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Painted clay and straw sculpture of Kali striding over Shiva, from Bengal, 19th century AD
Close-up of Kali
Stories from Bengal
Kali strides over Shiva
Once the goddess Durga became so angry that from her forehead a dark, violent goddess called Kali appeared. Kali gobbled up all the demons who were making Durga angry and wore a garland of their heads around her neck. However no one could calm Kali's anger and all the people and the gods became very worried as she killed demons and evildoers without stopping. Kali's rampage only stopped when the god Shiva, the powerful god of destruction, lay down in her path. When she discovered she was standing on such an important god, she immediately stopped. While Durga Puja ends at full moon, Kali Puja happens in the darkness of new moon night.