5/5 Mrinmoy M. 6 years ago on Google
Kali
is
also
a
central
figure
in
late
medievalĀ BengaliĀ devotional
literature,
with
such
devotees
asĀ Ramprasad
SenĀ (1718ā75).
With
the
exception
of
being
associated
withĀ ParvatiasĀ Shiva's
consort,
KÄli
is
rarely
pictured
in
Hindu
legends
and
iconography
as
a
motherly
figure
until
Bengali
devotions
beginning
in
the
early
eighteenth
century.
Even
in
BengÄli
tradition
her
appearance
and
habits
change
little,
if
at
all.[48]
The
Tantric
approach
to
KÄli
is
to
display
courage
by
confronting
her
on
cremation
grounds
in
the
dead
of
night,
despite
her
terrible
appearance.
In
contrast,
the
Bengali
devotee
appropriates
KÄli's
teachings
adopting
the
attitude
of
a
child,
coming
to
love
her
unreservedly.
In
both
cases,
the
goal
of
the
devotee
is
to
become
reconciled
with
death
and
to
learn
acceptance
of
the
way
that
things
are.
These
themes
are
well
addressed
in
RÄmprasÄd's
work.[49]Ā RÄmprasÄd
comments
in
many
of
his
other
songs
that
KÄli
is
indifferent
to
his
wellbeing,
causes
him
to
suffer,
brings
his
worldly
desires
to
nothing
and
his
worldly
goods
to
ruin.
He
also
states
that
she
does
not
behave
like
a
mother
should
and
that
she
ignores
his
pleas:
Can
mercy
be
found
in
the
heart
of
her
who
was
born
of
the
stone?
[a
reference
to
Kali
as
the
daughter
of
Himalaya]
Were
she
not
merciless,
would
she
kick
the
breast
of
her
lord?
Men
call
you
merciful,
but
there
is
no
trace
of
mercy
in
you,
Mother.
You
have
cut
off
the
heads
of
the
children
of
others,
and
these
you
wear
as
a
garland
around
your
neck.
It
matters
not
how
much
I
call
you
"Mother,
Mother."
You
hear
me,
but
you
will
not
listen.[50]
To
be
a
child
of
KÄli,
RÄmprasÄd
asserts,
is
to
be
denied
of
earthly
delights
and
pleasures.
KÄli
is
said
to
refrain
from
giving
that
which
is
expected.
To
the
devotee,
it
is
perhaps
her
very
refusal
to
do
so
that
enables
her
devotees
to
reflect
on
dimensions
of
themselves
and
of
reality
that
go
beyond
the
material
world.[50]
A
significant
portion
of
Bengali
devotional
music
features
KÄli
as
its
central
theme
and
is
known
asĀ Shyama
SangeetĀ ("Music
of
the
Night").
Mostly
sung
by
male
vocalists,
today
even
women
have
taken
to
this
form
of
music.
One
of
the
finest
singers
of
ShyÄma
SÄngeet
isĀ Pannalal
Bhattacharya.
KÄli
is
especially
venerated
in
the
festival
ofĀ Kali
PujaĀ in
eastern
Indiaācelebrated
when
the
new
moon
day
ofĀ AshwinĀ month
coincides
with
the
festival
ofĀ Diwali.
The
practice
of
animal
sacrifice
is
common
during
Kali
Puja
in
Bengal,
Orissa,
and
Assam,
though
it
is
rare
outside
of
those
areas.
TheĀ Hindu
templeswhere
this
takes
place
involves
the
ritual
slaying
ofĀ goats,Ā chickensĀ and
sometimes
maleĀ Water
buffalos.
Throughout
India,
the
practice
is
becoming
less
common.[51]Ā The
rituals
in
eastern
India
temples
where
animals
are
killed
are
generally
led
byĀ Brahminpriests.[52]Ā A
number
ofĀ TantricĀ Puranasspecify
the
ritual
for
how
the
animal
should
be
killed.
AĀ BrahminĀ priest
will
recite
a
mantra
in
the
ear
of
animal
to
be
sacrificed,
in
order
to
free
the
animal
from
the
cycle
of
life
and
death.
Groups
such
as
People
for
Animals
continue
to
protest
animal
sacrifice
based
on
court
rulings
forbidding
the
practice
in
some
locations.[53]
