Kali

The god Kali

LikeDurga or Parvati, it is a representation of Shakti, the mother goddess. The gods appealed to her because they could not defeat the demon Raktabija whose every drop of blood fell to the ground gave birth to a clone of the demon.

Kali is the most terrifying representation of the Hindu pantheon. She has red eyes and tongue and black skin. During the battle against Raktabija, she used her tongue to prevent the demon's blood from falling to the ground. But that poisoned her and she went crazy. She danced frantically, excited by the flesh of corpses beneath her feet, jeopardizing the balance of the world. To appease him, Shiva lay down under his feet, which stopped the destructive dance.

It is represented with several arms, the tongue hanging and the neck surrounded by a garland of skulls.

At the beginning of the century, a bloodthirsty sect, the Thugs, still practiced human sacrifices for devotions to the bloodthirsty goddess.