Bikaner IND - Ganga State Museum - Bhadrakali
Bhadrakālī (literally "Good Kaali") is a Hindu goddess popular in Southern India. She is one of the fierce forms of the Great Goddess Adi Parashakthi or Durga (Devi) mentioned in the Devi Mahatmyam. Bhadrakali is the popular form of Devi Mahamaya worshipped in Kerala as Sri Bhadrakali, Mahakali, Chamunda and Kariam Kali Murti. In Kerala she is seen as the auspicious and fortunate form of Maha Kali who protects the good.
This goddess is represented with three eyes, and four, twelve, or eighteen hands. She carries a number of weapons, with flames flowing from her head, and a small tusk protruding from her mouth. Her worship is also associated with the Tantric tradition of the Matrikas as well as the tradition of the ten Mahavidyas and falls under the broader umbrella of Shaktism. Kodungalloor, Aattukal, Chettikulangara, Thirumandhamkunnu and Chottanikkara are famous Bhadrakali temples in Kerala.
In Sanskrit, Bhadra means good. A major religious interpretation of this name is that Bhadra comes from 'Bha' and 'dra', The letter 'Bha' means 'delusion' or 'Maya' in Devanagiri and 'dra' is used as a superlative i.e. meaning 'the most/the greatest etc.' which makes the meaning of Bhadra as Maha Maya. The Sanskrit word 'Bhadra Kaali' therefore can be translated to Hindi as 'Mahamaya Kaali'.
Bikaner IND - Ganga State Museum - Bhadrakali
Bhadrakālī (literally "Good Kaali") is a Hindu goddess popular in Southern India. She is one of the fierce forms of the Great Goddess Adi Parashakthi or Durga (Devi) mentioned in the Devi Mahatmyam. Bhadrakali is the popular form of Devi Mahamaya worshipped in Kerala as Sri Bhadrakali, Mahakali, Chamunda and Kariam Kali Murti. In Kerala she is seen as the auspicious and fortunate form of Maha Kali who protects the good.
This goddess is represented with three eyes, and four, twelve, or eighteen hands. She carries a number of weapons, with flames flowing from her head, and a small tusk protruding from her mouth. Her worship is also associated with the Tantric tradition of the Matrikas as well as the tradition of the ten Mahavidyas and falls under the broader umbrella of Shaktism. Kodungalloor, Aattukal, Chettikulangara, Thirumandhamkunnu and Chottanikkara are famous Bhadrakali temples in Kerala.
In Sanskrit, Bhadra means good. A major religious interpretation of this name is that Bhadra comes from 'Bha' and 'dra', The letter 'Bha' means 'delusion' or 'Maya' in Devanagiri and 'dra' is used as a superlative i.e. meaning 'the most/the greatest etc.' which makes the meaning of Bhadra as Maha Maya. The Sanskrit word 'Bhadra Kaali' therefore can be translated to Hindi as 'Mahamaya Kaali'.