Goddess Kali

Both the forms of Parvati have eight hands and great power and Energy (Shakti). Durga rides on a lion and Kali rides on a corpse of a demon. Kali is the destructive aspect, she is time personified, hence the garland of skull, blood etc. She is dark because future is beyond one's ken. Her disheveled hair and robes show her non-stop activity. She holds a drawn sword affirming that your and my life is mortal. Her unraised hand shows abhaya (frearlessness) for one who has controlled his senses. Her lower hand shows varada-mudra or boon to her devotee.

Parvati was called Sati in her previous divine incarnation.

Mata Maha Kali (the Supreme Energy of Dissolution) wears the colour associated with Her i.e. black.

The Supreme Energy of dissolution is Mata Maha Kali. She represents the Tam Guna- the quality associated with the darker and unknown realms of life. Tam stands for darkness. Psychology and science state that only a very small per cent of the Universe is conscious. The remaining is still subconscious or unconscious. These unknown realms contain all the mysteries of life. Creation is a phenomenon, which exists within a specific time. However the Energy that transcends the barriers of time is the Eternal Time or Maha Kali.

Since man’s knowledge about life is very limited and he remains in the dark about most of it, it is represented by the colour black which is associated with Mata Maha Kali. She is the basic source of all that is mystical and unknown to man. In her attribute of Maha Kali, the Mother Goddess constantly guides her devotees to conquer the forces of darkness.