Kali Mata Prayers is performed on a new moon night. As Kali is associated with dark rites and demon worship, Maa kali the rituals performed are austere and offered with great devotion. Terrifying than Durga is Kali, the black earth-mother, whose rites involve sacrificial killings. Kali has dark skin and hideous tusked face, smeared with blood, the brow bearing a third eye, like Shiva’s.
Description of Goddess Kali Mata Prayers.
She has four arms. She holds in one a weapon, in another the head of an asura, dripping blood; the other two are raised to bless the worshipers. Her body is naked except for her 'ornaments', which include necklace of snakes, skulls and heads of her sons and a belt from which hangs demon's hands, which signify Karma or action.
Kali developed her thirst for blood after killing the demon Raktavera. Lord Brahma had granted a boon to Raktavera that every drop of blood which fell from his body would be able to produce thousands more like him. The only way Kali could kill him was to hold him high, pierce him with a spear and drink all his blood as it gushed out. Kali is often portrayed with her tongue hanging out and her mouth dripping blood. This is said to signify the force that gives impetus to all activities.Kali Mata Prayers once gave free rein to her blind lust for destruction.
On one occasion Shiva himself had to mingle among the demons whom she was slaughtering and allowed himself to be trampled underfoot in her dance of victory, as it was the only way to bring her to her senses and save the world from collapse. She acquired her name Kali meaning 'conqueror of time' as she subdued her husband by trampling over him. This way Devi the symbol of fertility conquered Shiva,the inexorable destroyer,who was equated with time. Aspects of Kali are Chandi, the fierce and Bhairavi, the terrible in which she is the counterpart to Shiva's aspect of Bhairava, when he takes pleasure in destruction. Another name of this form is Chamunda.
Kali Mata Prayers is performed on a new moon night. As Kali is associated with dark rites and demon worship, the rituals performed are austere and offered with great devotion.
